My Randomized Nuzlocke Adventure
by zakattak1104
Summary: Not supposed to be really serious or anything. I want to get better at and finish a dang Nuzlocke challenge. This helps both. Critique is much appreciated!
1. Deep Black

****Originally Chapters 1-3, but I decided to go back and edit some things, as well as make each chapter a bit longer. Thanks for the reviews! (if somebody would actually give me some...)****

I pushed the hat further down on my brow. Thick brown hair fell in front of my eyes, and I pushed it away. I think I'm going to shave it off. However, there was no time for that. She was going to be here any second.

"She's late," Cheren noted, breaking me out of my thoughts. I would often lapse into deep thinking. My mom called it daydreaming, but that's beside the point.

"I know," I replied, irritated. He was my best friend, but I didn't want to compete with him. I wanted her to-

"Hey guys! Sorry I'm late." She stumbled on the last step, but regained her balance. A small lock of blonde hair blocked her left eye, but she brushed it away. She smiled at me. Her face was like a ray of sunshine, her smile like the warm glow of a sunset. I could feel my insides squirming, as my mind struggled to find a response.

"Oh hey, Bianca. It's about time." Cheren was always the snarky type.

"You ready?" I looked at the both of them, before reaching underneath my bed. I grabbed a small box, which contained our new friends.

"Wait, they were already delivered? I thought we had to go meet Professor Juniper!" Bianca's hands couldn't sit still by her sides.

"That was my plan." I smiled widely at her, before tossing the package at Cheren. It slammed into his chest; he almost dropped it.

"Really? You're just going to throw around the Pokèmon?" Cheren glared.

"You throw them on the ground when you want them to fight, Cheren. I'm sure they're fine." Bianca didn't seem too happy with my decision either. I sighed, and asked Cheren to open it. He pulled out three shiny Pokèballs, and handed one to each of us.

"It's smaller than I thought..." Bianca said in awe. I held back a _that's what she said_ and turned mine in my hands. I had no idea what today had in store for me.

"How do we get to pick?" Cheren asked. He never wanted to make a wrong decision.

"We could just stick with the ones in here, I'm sure they're all good." My two friends seemed to agree.

"On the count of three..." Cheren said.

"One..." Bianca started.

"Two..." Cheren continued.

"Three!" I finished. We pressed the buttons, and were greeted with a flash. Three small creatures stood before us, happy to be out in the open.

A small blue animal stood in front of me. I wasn't quite sure what he was. I could tell Bianca's was a pig, and Cheren's was a snake... thing. But mine? It was a little pile of fur.

"What are you?" I asked, mostly to myself. I poked its belly, like the Pillsbury dough boy. It was soft, but it felt like it had a pouch. It pushed my finger away with a slight chuckle under its breath.

"I'm Martin, who are you?" It asked me. I drew my breath in sharply. Had it talked? Can Pokèmon talk? I was confused. I looked at Bianca and Cheren, but they were occupied with their own Pokèmon. Their normal, non-talking Pokèmon.

"How are you talking right now?" I whispered, for fear of looking crazy. Martin looked confused. He opened his mouth, and I saw two nubs for fangs. He closed it again, to think, and then began again.

"Oh my God! You can't just ask somebody why they can talk." Great. Martin had seen Mean Girls.

"Never mind. Have you fought anybody before?" I said, changing the subject. Martin's face contorted into a sick smirk. He pounded his tiny appendages together like fists.

"You bet I have," he replied. I smiled back.

"Alright, let's fight these fools." Martin and I were going to get along swimmingly.

"Martin, use Tackle!" I said.

"Karen, use Tackle!" Bianca repeated. Our two pets collided in a tangle of fur and teeth. It seemed like Martin was okay with hitting women. As the dust settled, he walked toward me, a mischievous glimmer in his eyes. Karen limped back to Bianca, who seemed proud of her little warrior. Karen blew out a puff of smoke through her nostrils, frustrated at her loss.

"Martin, use Tackle!" I said.

"Sven, use Tackle!" Cheren repeated. Martin head-butted the grass snake, slamming it to the floor. Sven didn't want to climb to his feet, so Martin posed triumphantly by him. He bowed sarcastically, before Sven swiped his legs out from underneath him with a leafy tail. Martin scrambled back, the snake now slithering toward him. Sven flicked his tongue in and out of his smirking mouth. Martin managed to pull his legs underneath his body and spring toward his aggressor. He wrestled Sven to the ground again, pinning his torso to the floor. Martin was 2-0 for now. He stumbled back toward me, a limp in his step.

"Well, after those brutal losses, are you guys still ready to be trainers?" I mocked.

"Stuff it," Bianca replied, before trying to hip-check me into a wall. I nudged her back, but not too hard. Cheren and Sven seemed to hiss in unison at us. I led the six of us downstairs, where my mother was waiting for us.

Martin plodded alongside me. He seemed a little better, although his limp was still apparent. My mom was stirring up something on the stove, but smiled at us as we came down the stairs.

"I guess you guys aren't going to be home for dinner, huh?" She asked.

"Nope! Got to stay busy, you know being Pokèmon trainers... and... stuff..." I trailed off. My mom chuckled at me.

"I'll see you two later, right?" She pointed the question at Cheren and Bianca.

"Yep! We're only headed for the lab. Leaving tomorrow. Have a good day!" Bianca said as she opened the front door. Cheren and I followed suit, as I grabbed my bag from the rack by the door. I closed the door gently behind me. Excitement was bubbling up out of my body, I wanted to sprint to the lab. Unfortunately, I only had to walk, because I had forgotten how close Professor Juniper's lab was. It hadn't even been a minute, and we were there. Martin, however, still had words to say.

"Hey, do you think we'll meet a lot of Pokèmon? Can I have a girlfriend? I really haven't met any good girls out there. I guess that Tepig was pretty _hot..._" He chuckled at his pun, before realizing that I wasn't. "You didn't think that was funny?" I looked at him, before cracking a small smile. Martin seemed happy to be accepted. I was glad to have another friend. I looked forward to my journey with him.

Juniper seemed welcoming enough, but she lectured too much. I stopped focusing for a while, I was too busy watching Martin toddle around like a child. He had a wild sense of curiosity. He was playing with an outlet when I snapped back to the task at hand. Juniper moved past me, and began to gesture to us, the three newest trainers in Unova. She wanted to teach us how to catch a Pokèmon. I caught Bianca looking toward me, and smiled at her. She seemed too excited to pay attention either. I called Martin to follow us, and he scampered behind. We made our way to Route 1, where Juniper pointed at a small rodent in the grass.

"Alright, you see that one? That's a Patrat." I was bored again. Juniper was _really_ catching this lame rodent Pokèmon. She had given us a Pokedex earlier. I wanted to find a Pokèmon that wasn't Normal-type. I was already imagining what it would be like to catch a cool Ice-type, or a sturdy Steel-type. I didn't know what I wanted. All of a sudden, Juniper was gone, and Cheren was shaking me out of my thoughts. That didn't happen often.

"Yo, you ready? We're gonna see who can catch the most Pokèmon!" Cheren was so happy. It made me glad to be friends with him. He was almost always sarcastic, and serious. He would be a cold and calculating detective in another world, the way he analyzed things and thought of situations from many different perspectives. He was always able to teach me something.

"Let's go!" Bianca cheered. I wanted to battle her again, to show her how talented I was. I pushed aside my selfish thoughts and pressed on. Martin and I had a competition to win. I looked down at him, and he looked like he was ready to trample through the tall grass. Our Pokèmon journey was finally beginning.

Martin and I stood still, so we didn't startle the creature. It was a lizard, about Martin's size, sunning itself on a rock. Its golden scales reflected the sunlight, and its whole body seemed to glimmer. A small flame flickered on the tip of its tail. I held up my Pokedex, and it began to speak about the Pokèmon I pointed it at.

"Charmander. The Lizard Pokèmon. The fire on the tip of its tail is a measure of its life. If healthy, its tail burns intensely." The picture on the tablet was wrong though. The Charmander on the screen was orange-red, whereas the one on the rock was golden. I looked at Martin, and he shrugged his shoulders in confusion. It was a Fire-type however, and that would balance out Martin's weakness to Grass. I told Martin to get the jump on it. He began to crouch, and shuffled toward his target. He pounced like he was a cat, despite being a rotund blue otter. The Charmander was startled, but couldn't move out of the increasingly large otter shadow bearing down upon it. As Martin drew away, so I could throw a pokèball, tears were in his eyes.

"I swear I didn't mean to!" Martin wailed. The lizard he "battled" was dead. I don't know how it happened, but he had somehow killed it. I couldn't tell if the liquid on its chest was blood, but it was thick, coursing out of the space between its scales. I hushed Martin, before pressing my hand against it. It was cold, which wasn't right. I looked at Martin before patting his head.

"It's alright bud, I know you didn't mean to." Martin's mouth made a line, like a half-grimace. He felt bad, and I felt bad for him. He was pretty new to the battling scene, and that was going to be tough for him to chew on. I picked him up in my arms and walked away. Who knows what would happen to the Charmander? I turned and watched the flame on its tail go out.

Bianca and Cheren were waiting for us. They were standing next to their starter Pokèmon, as well as a new addition to their teams. Cheren was cradling a catlike Pokèmon, and Bianca had a puppy Pokèmon sitting by her side. Cheren looked like a creepy James Bond villain, stroking the small cat while it purred.

"Where is your other Pokèmon? Won't your Oshawott get lonely?" Bianca's eyes were full of pity for Martin. I looked at him, and he looked crestfallen. I waved it away with my hand.

"Martin's so powerful, he's all I need!" I said, full of vigor. Cheren chuckled, but bent down and poked Martin in the belly.

"Man, I should have chosen you, huh?" Cheren smiled at him. Martin sheepishly grinned back. All at once, our cross transceivers began to ring. I picked up mine and put it on speaker. Great, it was Professor Juniper. She said some extra words about our quest for Pokèmon mastery, and then told us to meet her in Accumula Town. I looked up and behind my friends. I could _see_ Juniper waiting outside the Pokèmon Center. I sighed, and hung up. Bianca led the way to the red-roofed building, while Cheren and I lazily followed. A demonstration in the plaza seemed to be just starting. Juniper squealed childishly, before ushering us through the Pokémon Center. After a brief lecture from Professor Juniper, Martin and I walked outside once again. The exhibit in the plaza was now gathering more onlookers. I didn't want to bother with it.

"Do you want to train some more? We might not be ready to face Cheren and Bianca yet." I was trying to be sensitive to Martin's feelings, even though he had ruined my chance of catching a Pokèmon. That second Pokémon, especially a fire type, would have helped round out our team. He nodded in approval, ready to show that he was capable of fighting. We walked back into the meadow to find some new Pokèmon to fight.

* * *

"Look what I can do!" Martin pressed his flippers together, and it wasn't long before a flow of water poured between the cracks. He opened them slightly, and a jet of water shot out like a fire hose. I was impressed, he had learned really quickly. I logged his new move, Water Gun, into my Pokedex to remember later. While Martin battled other Pokèmon, I watched storm clouds converge on our location. They moved quicker than I had ever seen before. I wanted to call out to Martin, to warn him, but I felt frozen in place. Lightning flashed behind the clouds, revealing a dark shadow. It was a massive Pokèmon, I was sure of that. Before long, the field was covered in darkness. All the other trainers were gone, and I was alone. I twisted to find Martin, but he was missing as well. A thunderclap resounded behind me, and I turned. I scrambled backward, as the huge form had landed next to me. A little more than 9 feet tall, the dark Pokèmon seemed to absorb all light. It breathed heavily through its reptilian nostrils, before I heard its voice in my head.

"_You have called me, and I am here._" It knelt to the ground, and lowered its eyes. I didn't call it. Why did it think I called it. What the hell was going on right now. Holy shit.

"_Speak not. I am listening to your mind and body. You are afraid. Why are you afraid?_" It continued to speak into my mind, and its red eyes peered directly into mine. My heart continued to pound in my chest, as if it wanted to escape. I pushed onto my feet, and stood. I cleared my throat.

"I don't believe I am the person you're looking for."

"_I know you are the person I'm looking for._"

"I'm sorry, but I didn't call you. I was just training with my Pokèmon."

"_Very well, human. I did not want to disturb you. However, we must speak, now that I have acknowledged your presence, and you have mine._" I stayed silent, waiting for it to kill me. I didn't know what it was, or why it was here. I had half a mind to run. "_You cannot run, child. I have much to say._"

"Continue." My voice seemed frail in comparison to the monster in front of me. I noticed electricity running over its plated scales. Its aura was terrifying, yet utterly entrancing. I wanted to touch it, and feel the power coursing under its skin.

"_I am Zekrom. I wish to serve you, although that time has not come yet. I fear that you will face great struggle and pain. I will aid you in any way I can. I have already given you the blessing of encountering rare and powerful Pokèmon. Your small otter friend did not seem to appreciate my gift._"

"No! Martin didn't mean it. It was an accident. I'm sorry if we offended you." Zekrom grunted, before nodding slowly.

"_Keep your heart closed to the feelings of your Pokèmon. The loss will be easier if you do not sympathize with them. I sense the death of your companions, but you must continue to defeat the League. There is more corruption in this world than you are aware of._" I was filled with anger. He couldn't tell me to stop caring about my friends.

"Do you mean Cheren and Bianca will die? Will my Pokèmon die? Why can't you tell me? I want answers, Zekrom!" I yelled, forgetting his strength. He roared, shattering the air around me. The ground shook, and began to tear at the seams. Deep cracks appeared in the earth, surrounding us. His body glowed a deep blue, and bolts of lightning arced off of his shoulders and chest. He leaned in closer to my face, his eyes an even deeper shade of scarlet than before.

"_Do not anger me, child! Have you forgotten your place?_" His voice boomed inside of my head. I clutched at my temples, hoping to ease the pain. It subsided quickly, as Zekrom backed away from me. "_I wish to help you, not anger you. I will not give you second chances._"

"You can't ask me to forget my friends. My friends are everything to me. I love them." I fell to my knees, to win Zekrom's favor.

_"Do not try to act. You do not need to forget them, but that will only make the journey easier._"

"I don't know what to say. I will try my best. I will not lose my friends."

"_Try with all your might. However, I will not give you false hope. You must endure through more tribulations than others. I chose you for this reason, because you will grow stronger through your struggles._" His voice softened as he finished. It was as if he was talking to his son. I looked up, before standing again.

"Thank you. Will we meet again?"

"_Eventually. We will see._" Zekrom nodded solemnly. He closed his eyes, and paused. Before he opened them, I reached out and put my palm against the center of his head. A small ridge sat in the center of his forehead, and I felt the power running through it. He began to grumble, and opened his eyes. They were not as sharp as before.

* * *

**I would really appreciate it if you left a review on my work :) I want to know if my writing is crap or decent.**


	2. Fire and Ice

"So, where was I when all this happened?" Martin asked. We had sat down in the field, outside of the tall grass. Didn't want any wild Pokèmon sneaking up on us.

"You just. . . disappeared. Zekrom may have taken me somewhere else, or just showed up in my mind. I don't know." Now that I thought about it more, I wasn't aware where I was. Could Zekrom just entered my mind? He had spoken without sound, so why couldn't he cause a hallucination?

"I've heard the name Zekrom. Pretty powerful, right? What did he say? Was it ominous?" Martin could read my face better than I thought.

"Yeah, pretty ominous. He told me to forget my friends, because they were all going to die." I grew silent. Martin stared at me, also silent. We sat like this for a few minutes, thinking to ourselves. He looked deep into my eyes, before lowering them. He spoke up again.

"You aren't going to forget me. . . right?" He crawled into my lap. I rubbed his belly gently, avoiding the sharp edges of his scalchop.

"Of course not, bud. We're best friends, inseparable. You and I? We're a team, no matter what anybody says. I won't lose you. I won't lose Cheren and Bianca. I will fight Zekrom's prophecy with everything I've got." Martin smiled at this, and closed his eyes. He began to let out a low growl, similar to a purr. I would not lose him, I vowed. _I will not lose him!_, I shouted in my mind, hoping Zekrom had heard me.

"Let's head back to Accumula. I wonder if that plaza event is still going…" I trailed off. I stood, and waited until Martin began to toddle after me.

After talking and training, Martin was stronger than ever, as was our friendship. We walked into Accumula Town confidently, before I noticed that the commotion in the plaza was _still_ causing a ruckus. It had seemed like it was hours ago. Zekrom's conversation had taken a toll on my mind, and I was weary. Martin and I rested at the Pokèmon Center briefly, before going and listening to the spiel in the courtyard.

A middle-aged man was standing in the middle of the stage. He was cloaked in a decorative robe, troughed gold and white. It looked regal, but strange when surrounded by contemporary clothes. Even stranger was his long, grey-green hair. It made him seem ancient, yet I was positive he was no older than fifty. He was discussing Pokèmon ethics. I was about to leave, before I noticed Cheren. I squeezed through the crowd to reach him.

"What is all this about?" I asked him. He was intently listening, like always.

"His name is Ghetsis. He wants us to release our Pokèmon."

"Wait, seriously?"

"Yeah, man. Seriously."

"That's weird."

"Yep." I followed Cheren's gaze and began to stare at the stage again. I noticed there were several men and women behind him, dressed as . . .

"Are those people knights or something?" I asked Cheren again. He seemed confused as well.

"No clue. Shut up and maybe he'll tell us." I quieted down and began to pay attention again. It seemed as if he was wrapping up, because he began summarizing his lecture.

"Pokèmon are not pets, or soldiers. They are animals, and we must not force them to fight. They have to be left alone in the wild, or else we will face the wrath of nature! Repent, and release your Pokèmon!" He turned to leave, and his grunts followed him, making a square formation. This seemed very well planned.

"Huh. Never thought I would have heard something like that before," I said to Cheren. It didn't mean much to me, but when I saw Cheren still standing and thinking, I knew it meant something to him.

"What if he's right? What if we're forcing our Pokèmon to fight, and they don't like it?" Cheren was turning Ghetsis' ideas over in his mind. It might win, I could sense it.

"Do you think they would stick around if they didn't like it? Martin and I are friends, and that's because we trust each other. He knows I would fight for him, if I had to." I looked at Martin, and he nodded in approval. Cheren smiled half-heartedly at this. I knew my speech had not done much to soothe his thoughts. He would have to decide for himself.

"Maybe you're wrong," another voice spoke behind us. We both turned, startled. I wasn't sure if it was a boy or a man. His face was young, and his skin was smooth, yet he was a few inches taller than Cheren and I. His voice was deep and clear, void of cracks.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" Cheren extended his hand to shake. Always the polite one.

"No, we haven't. You can call me N." He did not return Cheren's gesture.

"This guy creeps me out," whispered Martin. N's eyes seemed to pounce on Martin, who cowered behind me. I moved in front of him, to protect him if needed.

"I'm sorry, was I speaking to you?" N seethed. Cheren's eyes widened.

"Wait, can you hear our Pokèmon?" Cheren said slowly, as if he was still struggling with N's response. Shoot, I totally forgot it was weird that I could talk to Martin.

"Of course. I was gifted with the skill from birth." N said matter-of-factly. Even the way he talked made me hate him.

"Listen man, how about you just leave? We don't want any trouble." I said, trying to intimidate him. I noticed the color of his hair, but didn't say anything. He could be related to Ghetsis, but why wasn't he on stage...? N reacted explosively.

"Shut up! You don't understand Pokèmon! You're just going to hurt them!" He reached into his pocket and grabbed a Pokèball. He tossed it on the ground, releasing a Purrloin, the same Pokèmon Cheren had captured earlier. Eerily calm in an instant, he commanded his Pokèmon.

"Purrloin, attack." He pointed toward Martin.

The Purrloin advanced on Martin and I. I stepped in front to protect him, but I felt Martin push past me.

"This is my job. Let me protect you." He was confident in his decision. I nodded and moved back to give him space. He squared up, and crouched lower, to give his legs some room to spring for a tackle. The Purrloin meowed slyly. God, I hated that stupid sound. It rushed Martin quickly. A claw swiped toward his left side, which he deflected with a well-timed scalchop block. With the Purrloin staggered, he used his scalchop to direct a jet of water into the body of his opponent. It was a one-hit KO. My heart was pounding, but I ran to Martin. N stepped in between us.

"You imbecile! You cannot just - " A thud, and N sprawled to the ground. Cheren had sucker punched him when he wasn't looking. I didn't even see it coming. Cheren shrugged his shoulders, but didn't look casual about it. N was clutching his stomach, before raising himself back to a standing position. He retrieved his over-aggressive cat and glowered at the two of us. He walked away. Martin cheered, and I joined him.

"Did you see me? I was all like _ding_ and _pow _and he was gone!" Martin was reenacting the fight with dramatic motions. I stuck a foot out in front of him and he nearly tripped over it. I giggled when he glared up at me. His angry face grew into a reluctant grin.

"You were awesome, dude. I'm proud of you. Thanks for showing that guy up. He was such a creep," I praised.

"Yeah, I know! That Purrloin didn't know what hit it!" Martin was getting a little too cocky, but I knew it wouldn't get to his head. We needed to find a companion to train with. We walked out of Accumula Town and onto Route 2. There was plenty of lush grass here, perfect for finding new Pokémon.

"I wonder what's going to be here. Zekrom said that he would 'bless' us with powerful and unique Pokémon," I briefly recalled my encounter with the Deep Black Pokémon, and shuddered. It was terrifying, albeit amazing.

"I hope it's a girl!" Martin quipped, but I knew he was only half-joking. He turned in circle, before pointing in a seemingly random direction.

"Do you think that's powerful?" Martin peered at the small bear cub. It was white, with a purple tinge of fur around its head. It had its back to us, so we weren't able to get a good look at it.

"Let's see. . ." I pulled out my Pokedex, to record it.

"Cubchoo. The Chill Pokémon. Its nose is always running. It sniffs the snot back up because the mucus provides the raw material for its moves." Martin and I looked at each other after the last sentence.

"That's definitely an. . . interesting Pokémon." I noticed Martin hesitated to say whether he liked it or not. I appreciated that he didn't want to offend me.

"It's an Ice-type. It'll round out our team. Regardless how gross, it's probably a good addition."

"I really hope it isn't a girl," Martin whispered. He walked up behind it, cautiously. He was careful to fight it, as he had killed the first Pokémon we encountered. He sprayed a weak jet of water, so not to be too powerful. As the water traveled through the air, the vapor chilled and froze around the cub. It turned to look at its attacker, before seeing that I was a trainer.

"Oh, please don't hurt me! I don't deserve to travel with you." He feigned injury and crumpled to the ground. Zekrom had been telling the truth, about blessing us with unique Pokémon. Not only was this Pokémon a different coloring than the picture in the Pokedex, but its nose was free of his species' signature mucus.

"Get up, and let him put you in a Pokèball." Martin grabbed the bear by the scruff of the neck and pulled him toward me. I pulled a basic Pokèball from my satchel and opened it. A beam of red light signified the capture.

"Seems like a wimp." Martin wasn't so keen on the new teammate, and he certainly wasn't holding any opinions back now.

"We'll see." I wasn't so sure on the personality of the bear either. I tossed the Pokèball between my two hands, before releasing our new friend. The cub accidentally somersaulted out of his containment, before landing on his back.

"What's your name, kid?" Man, Martin was not being very polite. I'd talk to him later.

"I don't know if you'd be able to pronounce it." He let out a low growl, before changing pitch, and clacking his teeth together twice.

"I like the name Laurence. You'll be Laurence from now on," I didn't want to command him in battle with a native name like that.

"Sounds good to me." Laurence laid back and put his paws over his face. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get some rest." Martin sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, not gonna happen. We have training to do." Martin dragged Laurence to his feet, and pushed him deeper into the grass. Wild pokèmon began to surround him. I groaned.

"Martin, could you please go help him?" I said, exasperated. Laurence was indeed weak. Martin scowled, before trudging to Laurence's side. Laurence breathed cold ice at the creatures around him, trying to keep them at bay. Martin quickly unleashed a spray of water, and scattered the rest of them. Laurence seemed to notice Martin's strength.

"Wow. That was pretty cool."

"Don't make me save you again." Martin squinted his eyes at Laurence, trying to intimidate him. Laurence looked down, unhappy.

"Martin, let's train solo for a while, okay? Sorry Laurence, you're going in here." I gestured at his pokèball in my hand, and recalled him. Martin still seemed angry.

"Don't say anything. I know I'm not being very nice. I just don't want to be." Martin crossed his flippers and tapped a foot impatiently. His eyes lowered, so I crouched down to his level.

"I understand, man. Just deal with it for a while. I'm sure he'll grow on you." Martin nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry for getting mad." Martin's eyes stayed focused on the ground. I kneeled so I could pat his head.

"No worries bud. I'm sure I'll be mad and you'll have to talk me out of it. We're friends and gotta do the best for each other. Let's train a little more!" I tried to be enthusiastic. Martin grinned shyly before leading me into the tall grass again.

* * *

"Looks like we're pretty close to Striaton City!" Laurence called. He had trotted in front of Martin and I.

"That path was strangely short, don't you think?" Martin asked me. Laurence was still a long way ahead.

"Yeah, you're right. We're lucky we found Laurence. He seems like he'll be a force to be reckoned with after he evolves."

"You think? His paws are pretty big, he's going to have to grow into them." Martin seemed to like the little guy already. Even though they were almost the same age, Laurence seemed more innocent.

"Hey! Wait up!" I knew that voice immediately. My stomach churned as I spun around to face her. The sun glared at me, so I raised a hand to shade my eyes. There she was. I had the biggest crush on Bianca since we had been kids.

"Finally ready to head into Striaton City?" I asked as she approached. She drew nearer to me, and locked her arm with mine. She pulled me along with her, so we could walk side by side. What was going on.

"This is so nice to be free. . . don't you think?" she said. She was so close. I could barely hear my thoughts over the pounding of my heart.

"Yeah. . . It is pretty nice." I flashed my nicest smile at her. Point-blank range, I didn't think anybody could resist. She suddenly drew her arm toward her and backed away.

"What?" I asked, nervous I had done something wrong. I noticed she held back a smirk.

"We need to battle! We both have two Pokémon now." She giggled, before letting her Lillipup out of his pokèball. "This is Frederick. He's a tough one!"

"We'll see about that!" I accepted her challenge. Laurence came running on all fours to me.

"I'll protect you!" He slid to a stop in front of me, when Martin sighed and shook his head.

"Frederick, use Tackle!" Bianca ordered. She was a lively trainer, and her pokèmon seemed to enjoy fighting for her. The puppy pokèmon lunged forward, to hit Laurence. He waited until the dog drew close to dodge, and blew a thick cloud of ice at Frederick. A flicker of light surrounded Frederick, before he was launched a few more feet than seemed possible. His limp body landed in front of Bianca. She didn't seem worried, he was only unconscious.

"Did you see that? Cheren told me that sometimes Pokémon can strike with perfect timing, and do extra damage!" She recalled him, and sent out Karen, her feisty Tepig. She launched a fireball toward Laurence, and he only narrowly dodged it.

"Laurence, come back! Martin, go fight instead!" I shouted. Martin leapt into action, and sprayed a massive jet of water at Bianca's pig pokèmon. It squealed, and was pushed toward Bianca. As the water subsided, the pig laid at Bianca's feet. She recalled her as well, before letting out a large sigh.

"There's no way I'm going to beat you, huh?" She asked. I assumed she was kidding, but she looked serious.

"That was probably a fluke. We'll see!" I nudged her, and made her look up at me. I wanted to push a strand of her hair behind her ear, but I decided against it. She grinned and pushed me back.

"Let's go check out the city!" She ran out ahead of me, while Martin and I trailed behind her. She disappeared almost immediately, like she Disapparated or something.

"Where did she go?" Martin asked. We seemed to have lost her. I let out a tiny sigh, which Laurence seemed to pick up on.

"What's wrong?" he inquired. I opened my mouth to retort, but then closed it to think again.

"Nothing." I still continued to look for her, and Martin and Laurence waited patiently for me to confirm she was out of sight. "Let's swing by the Pokémon Center, you guys are probably pretty tired. We can talk about where we go next." We made our way to the Poké-hospital. I asked the nurse where we should go, and she motioned me to a wall of fliers, with tourist destinations all over Unova. I gazed at this wall of text, before she "kindly" shouted that my Pokémon were healed.

"Looks like we're all done here. Thanks, come back soon!" the nurse said with a practiced tone. I smiled softly at her before turning and exiting. I released Laurence and Martin outside, and we talked over our plans. I had found a pamphlet inside the Pokémon Center for the Dreamyard, a group of ruins to the east of Striaton. There was bound to be wild Pokémon and trainers there! We leisurely walked through the city, toward the Dreamyard. As we arrived, trainers stood idle around the entrance, waiting for somebody to cross their path. Unfortunately, I had not noticed them until I heard a shout.

"We have to battle! You were in my line of sight!" An overexcited child ran up to me, waving a pokèball around frantically. I rolled my eyes.

"Alright kid, this is how the battle's going to go. My ice bear's going to destroy your team, and you'll give me all of your money. Okay?" That seemed to take the wind out of his sails. He defiantly threw his pokèball and released. . . none other than a Lillipup. I sighed, louder this time. Laurence unleashed a blast of frigid air at the puppy, and it fell, now unconscious. The kid stuffed a wad of cash in my hand, before running toward the Pokémon Center.

"That was pretty impressive." The voice was uncomfortably close. I whipped around to see a girl huddled over a cardboard box.

"Sorry lady, I don't have any money." After saying that, I hastily hid the prize money in my bag.

"I ain't no hobo!" she screamed. Her voice was hoarse, like she had choked down the smoke of a thousand cigarettes. "I'm here to give you a Pokémon." She was more calm now, although I could read her face. It was full of trickery.

"Ohhhkay. I'm ready. Lay it on me." I was hesitant to accept a gift from a person like her. The raggedy woman reached into her mystery box and pulled out a flaming monkey carcass.

"What the fuck – " I backed away quickly, Laurence moved quickly behind me. I looked down, and his face was covered in fear. I recalled him into his pokèball, so he wouldn't see it. The woman edged toward me. Her eyes seemed to spin in a thousand different directions, wildly moving within their sockets. I closed my eyes, and shielded my face from the flames. When I opened them again, she sat on the ground, with a playful Pokémon in her lap. What the hell just happened?

"Do you not want her?" Her voice was soft all of a sudden. Martin was by my side, although I had not retrieved him from his pokèball.

"Can we keep it? Pleeeeeease?" Martin whined like a toddler. I rubbed my temples, and shook my head slightly, to dispel the hallucination. I looked at the monkey once more. It was only a few inches taller than Martin and Laurence, who stood at the same height. A red swirl of hair adorned its head, which seemed to glow like embers, even in the daylight.

"Yeah, sure, we'll take it," I said, still trying to forget the vision I had seen before. The Pokémon waddled over to our group, and started to play with Martin. I released Laurence to have some fun, all while taking my Pokedex out to log the new addition to our team.

"Pansear. The High Temp Pokémon. This Pokémon lives in caves in volcanoes. The fire within the tuft on its head can reach 600°F." I made a mental note to keep the monkey happy. I turned to ask the woman the name of the Pokémon, but she was already gone. I must need sleep.

"Welcome to the team…" I trailed off, forgetting I didn't know the name of the monkey.

"The name's Kaida. And thanks, it was crazy living with that woman. She treated me like a child." I was reaching down to pet her when she said this. I stopped my approach, and changed the subject. We would need a nice bed soon, so I led my group back to the city, where we stayed the night at the Pokémon Center.

In the morning, before Laurence and the monkey were up, Martin crawled into my bed.

"Thanks for letting Kaida come along with us. She's really nice." Martin looked downwardly, embarrassed. If he could blush, he would have been.

"Oh, yeah. Dude, no problem. Just keep it platonic between you guys."

"What does plato - " I waved a hand to quiet him. Kaida and Laurence were stirring. I got out of bed to wake them up and get ready. I took a shower quickly, and checked out. We were ready to face the gym.


	3. Trial by Fire

"What do you mean, he's not here?" I asked, a little too forcefully. The waiter standing at the door had told me that the gym leader had left for the trainer's school. I spun on my heel and headed for the building he pointed to. It wasn't even a block away, and I realized I overreacted. However, I didn't want to apologize, so I didn't.

Only a minute later, I opened the doors to the school. I was hit with a wave of anxiety, reminiscent of the years I spent in a school like this. My flashback was so powerful, it was as if I entered another world.

_"__You're still failing three classes? I can't believe you. You aren't my son. No son of mine would waste his time talking to. . . imaginary friends."_

_ "__But Dad! They're not imaginary. I'm talking to -"_

_ "__Shut up. You're wasting your breath. From now on, I'm homeschooling you. You are grounded until you prove to me that you are _worthy_to go outside again.__"_

The flashback faded as quickly as it had come. It was so long ago, I thought I had blocked out those memories. I hadn't thought about my father in so long. I noticed a couple pairs of eyes looking at me curiously, so I walked through the main classroom. Before encountering the gym leader, I found my friend Cheren.

"Hey Cheren! Have you seen the gym leader around here?" He turned and pushed his glasses farther up on his face. His hair was more disheveled than usual, but I noticed he had a bundle of flashcards in his hand. He was copying and studying the various notes and doodles on the board.

"Oh! You must have just missed him. I was talking to him earlier, he gave me a few tips on using items in battles. Mind if I try them out with you?" he seemed eager to prove himself better than me. Honestly, I was a little tired of fighting with no challenge, but I accepted. He drew two pokèballs from his back pocket, and released his first Pokémon. Sven seemed to be more smug than most Snivy. His look of contempt at Martin was quickly wiped off his face when he recognized Laurence was an Ice-type. Sven was down in only one hit from Powder Snow. Cheren gritted his teeth and sent out his Purrloin, named Annabelle. She was quickly dispatched by a breath of flame by Kaida.

"Nice job, man!" I reached down to pat Kaida's head, before changing course and gesturing for a high five. She swatted my hand with her paw.

"Thanks, _man_," she chided. Cheren made an almost imperceptible frown before breaking into a too-wide grin.

"Bianca was right, we're going to be in your shadow this entire journey!" I shrugged my shoulders, trying not to say anything stupid.

"Probably!" Too late. Cheren already knew I was overconfident, and that certainly didn't help. I left Cheren to his misery (just kidding) and arrived at the gym. The same waiter stood outside. I saw his eyes flare with frustration when he saw me. I turned to look at Kaida, Martin, and Laurence, to avoid contact with the angry host.

"You're not taking all three of those Pokémon in with you, right?" His voice was more grating than before.

"Um, yes? That was my plan."

"Sorry, but you can only use one Pokémon at a time in this gym. You're going to have to deposit two in the PC at the Pokémon Center." He seemed happy to have defeated me. For now. I squinted my eyes, casting a glare colder than Laurence's Icy Wind. I spun on my heel once again and marched toward the Pokémon Center. I released my three friends, and asked them who wanted to volunteer.

"I can fight!" Martin pleaded. He wanted to show his strength, and earn our first badge.

"I know how this gym works. They purposely pick Pokémon that are strong against trainers' lead Pokémon. I can't take you, you're weak to Grass. Fortunately, both Kaida and Laurence are strong against Grass-types." Martin's face dropped, as Kaida and Laurence both smiled. Kaida laid a gentle hand on Martin's shoulder, before stepping forward. I almost squealed. They would be such a cute couple.

"I would be willing to fight! My fire will scorch the very earth our enemies stand upon!" Kaida cried, raising her arms above her head for added dramatic effect. I chuckled, and contemplated her request.

"Laurence, what do you think?" I wanted to hear what he said. He had been traveling with us longer, albeit a small amount. He was stronger, and more intimidating than Kaida. Many trainers had gazed in wonder and awe, as his species was quite rare.

"I don't know. . . I'm nervous to fight. But I want to help. I know my ice can slow down enemies, so that might help!" He brightened at the end of his statement. I weighed the options in my head. Laurence could get hurt pretty easily, but he often would take his opponents down in a single hit.

"Sorry Kaida, I think I'm going to go with Laurence on this one." Kaida's tail drooped, and she hung her head. I patted both her and Martin before encapsulating them, tossing their pokèballs back in my bag. With Laurence in tow, we marched back into the city. I almost stuck my tongue out at the angsty waiter outside. He seemed to want to do the same, but instead, he opened the door extravagantly.

Laurence and I stepped into the gym gingerly. A man sprung out of nowhere, before tossing a bottle of water at me. He promptly disappeared in a puff of smoke. Although confused, I put it into my pack, ready to use in battle. Laurence, on all fours, somehow shrugged his shoulders. A dark red curtain hung in front of me, with a tribal-looking emblem adorning it. The flame swirled in a circle before reaching up toward the short ceilings. Three small pads sat in front of me, amidst the stacked dining tables. One was green as an emerald, and was engraved with a leaf in a similar art style to the flame on the curtain. The middle was crimson like a ruby, and showed the same symbol as the curtain. The third and final pad was deep blue, like a sapphire, and a drop of water was cut into the glass. I assumed I needed to find a type that defeated the one on the curtain. I didn't need to go sit in at the Trainer's school to remember this one. I stood on the blue pad, in the center of the water droplet. The curtain drew back, and revealed. . . another curtain. This time with the same shade of blue as the pad I stepped on. I sighed, and trudged over to the leaf pad. Once more, a curtain was behind the second, but covered in an earthy green tone. I held myself back from stomping on the right answer.

Two men and a woman stood behind the last curtain. That came as no surprise, since I already knew the gym gave out the _trio_ badge. Honestly, did they think toddlers were going to be showing up here? Oh yeah, the preschool on Route 4.

"Alright, alright, let's get this over with." A young man with fiery red hair said. It was styled to look like a burning campfire, which struck me as overdramatic. He wore a waiter's outfit, complete with folded cuffs and an apron. I realized that they were all wearing matching bow ties, that corresponded with the color of their hair. Cute.

"Did all of you dye your hair to show which element you fought with? That's adorable." My tongue seemed to spit out the words before they even formed in my head. I was more clever, and cold, than I thought.

"Very funny. Is this your first time at the Striaton Gym?" The woman replied with an oddly deep voice. I realized this was a man. His thick _blue_ bangs flowed over his right eye, creating a very effeminate look for a man with a voice like his. He most likely had the lowest range of all three.

"Honestly, you don't need to explain much. I can take all three of you at once." Their scolding laughter echoed through the empty diner. I waited patiently for them to finish. I felt Laurence move closer to my leg.

"Silly boy, you aren't going to face all three of us." Wow. I thought the 'man' with blue hair was the most feminine, but the green-haired one had a surprisingly high voice, with a touch of a. . . 'metrosexual' accent. I waited for them to explain it to me.

"I'm Chili, the Fire-type Gym Lea-"

"Wait. . . your name is Chili? Like the soup? Did your parents plan all this? This is the most brilliant long-con I've ever experienced."

"Shut up!" The green haired man spoke up again. His voice almost unearthed a laugh from me, but I withheld it. "As my brother was saying, his name is Chili. I am Cilan, and he" - Cilan pointed to the blue-haired fellow - "is Cress. You will fight one of us, depending on your lead Pokémon."

"It looks like you have an Ice-type Pokémon! You'll be fighting me then," Chili spoke up. His voice quavered in fear of being interrupted again.

"This isn't my lead Pokémon. My lead pokèmon is a Water-type, an Oshawott." Cilan's mouth tightened into a line.

"So, you're going to fight me then. The Grass-type gym leader. With an Ice-type." Cilan groaned, and opened his first pokèball. Laurence let out a low growl and cautiously stepped forward. Cilan's Lillipup growled back, interspersing barks to try and intimidate Laurence. No such thing happened.

Laurence unearthed a roar that seemed to come from the depths of hell. The restaurant seemed to shake, the tables rattling against the linoleum floor. The triage of trainers stood in shock, their eyes open wider than ever before. The silence after the roar was even more deafening. The Lillipup stopped his intimidation tactic, and stood in fear of his enemy. The quiet was broken by Cilan shouting a command.

"Lillipup, use Work Up!" A faint glow appeared around the dog, as it gained its confidence once again.

"Laurence, use Icy Wind!" Laurence didn't follow my orders, but he did so in the best way possible. With an agility I had not seen before, he leapt almost four or five feet into the air. Hurtling toward the immobile Pokémon, he exhaled a tornado of frozen air. It enveloped the puppy Pokémon, and frost appeared on its fur. It shivered in fright as much as it did in cold. As Laurence grew closer, he drew back a paw, and smashed it into the face of the Lillipup. The arena seemed to resound with the crack of the dogs' skull for ages. Laurence stood mightily, full of victory.

Cilan rushed to his crippled Pokémon, and scooped it up with a single arm. He pressed his hand against its body before lowering his head. In a swift move, he released his next Pokémon. It could have been Kaida's sibling, for it was a grassy monkey similar to her size and stature. I looked at Laurence briefly, and wasn't aware that Cilan had given his Pokémon a command. I saw Laurence panic, before racing toward the Pansage, whose vine was coming right for me –

* * *

My mind jolted to a start, like somebody had flipped all the switches on the breaker box. I sat up quickly, only to begin to wonder where I was. It was pitch black, and I touched my hand to the ground. It was cold and smooth, and felt like solid rock. A low hum began to surround me, filling the space with an energy that I recognized.

"Zekrom." I spoke, and he was there.

"_You are hurt._" I couldn't see the massive Pokémon due to the darkness, but I felt him nearby.

"I don't know what happened. Where are you?" As I asked, a faint blue glow began to light up the air around me. A thousand tiny bubbles formed, and floated upward, like carbonation in a soda can.

"_Why did you kill that trainer's Pokémon?_"

"What? I didn't kill anybody's Pokémon."

"_That man. His Pokémon is dead, due to the bear you call Laurence._"

"No. . . Laurence. . . killed it? But, he didn't mean it!"

"_Average Pokémon are more fragile and weak than you know. People will think you trained your friends to kill others._"

"No. No. . . No! I didn't mean to, this isn't my damn fault!" I felt a tear slide down my cheek, and I lifted a hand to wipe it away quickly, before Zekrom could see.

"_Listen. You will have to be more careful in the future. Your Pokémon must not make the same mistakes again._"

"This isn't their fault, Zekrom! You can't blame them!" I yelled angrily. Like our past encounter, Zekrom roared at me. It seemed to come from all sides, shattering my ear drums and cracking my bones underneath my skin. My breath escaped my chest, and I fought the urge to cough before inhaling. A thunderous footstep came in front of me, and Zekrom's head leaned forward, through the darkness. His eyes were deep crimson, and seemed to hold more anger and wisdom than any being in the universe.

"_I am _not_ blaming them. The people in your world will! You have to keep your Pokémon safe. Your destiny is not quite revealed, but it will be soon. Trust me._"He had seemed to calm down quite a bit after speaking. His head retracted back into the black, and the blue glow around me faded slightly.

"I need help."

"_That's what I am trying to do for you, child. I am trying to help._"

A bright flash, and I awoke for the second time. I opened my eyes and sat up, pushing myself away from the soft grass beneath me. Ruins surrounded me, a desolate building that had withered away over the years. The bland concrete was tinged with soot, as if a massive fire had been the culprit of this building's demise. I collected my thoughts and began searching for my Pokémon in my bag. As I did so, I heard soft footsteps behind me. My hand on the pokèball containing Martin, I turned my head toward the sound. I felt heat on my face, and shielded my eyes from the bright light kindling on the back of a horse. Its cream colored coat was warm and milky, and the icy blue fire on its back wreathed its mane in flame. It bowed, before speaking in a soft voice.

"Greetings. I am Fiona, an assistant of Zekrom. He sent me here to help you, since he is unable to deal with mortals directly." She was gentle, and trotted closer to me before nuzzling my shoulder. "I want to join you, to fight alongside your friends."

"Thank you, Fiona. Give me a second, I feel kind of weird…" My mind was scrabbling, trying to find memories where there were none. I stood, and steadied myself on one of the ruined walls. Words came to my mouth, but they were gibberish. Letters spilled out, meaning nothing, yet clearing my head of the backlog of thoughts and entanglement of memories. All that was left was a single thread, starting with my first battle with Bianca and infinitely stretching toward the future, without an end. I pressed a hand to my forehead, struggling to remember basic things. My mom, my dad, my _name_. What had happened in the gym? A concussion couldn't leave me with so many blank spot, so I thought.

"Is there something I can help with?" Fiona asked. I glanced at her. Although not human, she seemed to understand a level of emotion that other Pokémon had not exhibited. She looked like she sympathized with me. I didn't want to share my amnesia, but I decided it would be for the best. Maybe Zekrom knew about my past.

"Did Zekrom tell you my name? Does he know my name in the first place?"

"I'm sorry sir, I don't –"

"Don't call me, sir, Fiona. We're friends now, equals." I put a hand on her head, before wincing and pulling away. After realizing the flames on her mane did not give off heat, I placed my hand back on her neck, and watched the blue tongues lick at my skin.

"What should I call you?" Fiona stopped abruptly, as if cutting off a habitual _sir_. I pondered her question. Any name I gave myself would determine how I would act, or what I would seem like to other people. It's an immediate first impression, and it was key that I made a good decision. I lifted my bag from the ground, and released my three friends. Kaida, Martin, and Laurence sprung toward me. How had they appeared here, after being in the PC? Right now, I didn't care. I wanted to comfort my friends.

"I didn't know if you were going to make it!" Martin cried, with a small wavering undertone.

"I'm so happy to see you again," Kaida said, more stoic than Martin and Laurence. I had a feeling she was always going to be less expressive than those two.

"Trainer, I. . . I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt that Pokémon. . . I just wanted to prove how strong I was to you. It was stupid and I don't want you to hate - " The bear was wailing. A tiny drop of mucus covered the tip of his nose, evidence that he had been crying.

"Laurence. . . Laurence." I hushed him, and pulled him into a hug. He settled down, but averted his eyes from mine. I let him sit in my lap while I discussed my situation with my team.

"Kaida, Laurence, I didn't explain some things to you. I met with this big Pokémon named Zekrom a day or two ago. He has promised to help me. This is Fiona, a servant of Zekrom. She'll be joining us on our journey. Martin, did I ever tell you my name?" I asked, trying to make it sound like a casual statement. I hoped he would know it, to keep me from naming myself. I wanted to unlock all of the secrets of my past, I couldn't deal with amnesia easily.

"To be honest, I didn't even think about it. I addressed you as 'Trainer' in my head, like Laurence does. Is there something wrong?" Martin was downcast, his emotions more apparent than Kaida's. Her tail flicked from side to side, but much slower and less frequent than normal. She never held a smile, just a sad look.

"Yeah, Martin. I think I got a pretty bad concussion or something from that pesky monkey. I don't remember much before you and I met," I tried to act strong for my comrades, but it was hard. I didn't want to do much more than lie down on the ground and cry. Martin and Kaida looked shocked, but I couldn't see Laurence's face, as he was still buried in my chest. There was a long silence before anybody spoke up.

"Since Zekrom is your 'patron god', you could be called Black," Fiona suggested. I twisted the name around in my head, probing it, learning it. It sounded good, but I wasn't necessarily comfortable with naming myself a color.

"Black." Speaking the name made it seem more real.

"I really like it. It sounds… mysterious, like Zekrom himself," Kaida said. Martin nodded his head in agreement. I opened my mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a crash and roar. A massive Pokémon leapt into the ruins, from a place I could not see. It seemed to erupt with anger and a thirst for blood. I scrambled backward, before slamming into another wall in the ruins. Fiona galloped toward the beast, before getting batted away with a massive paw. The monster stood almost a foot above me, even while being on all fours. Kaida yelled at me.

"That's Entei! We have to get out of here, he's too powerful!" She tugged me, to make me rise to my feet. I saw Martin gather his courage, and begin a run toward the mighty foe. No, no no no. He can't sacrifice himself for us.

"Martin! Come back! It's too dangerous!" I screamed at him. I wouldn't lose him right now. As Martin charged toward Entei, the Pokémon inhaled a massive breath, before exhaling a flame that singed the hairs on my arms. I curled up with my back to the heat, trying to protect Laurence. I could barely open my eyes, the fire was so bright. Martin was enveloped by the blanket of fire, his body becoming shrouded in an inferno. I can't remember what I shouted, but Fiona charged into my chest, pushing me away from making a poor decision to save my friend and sacrifice myself. The pony stamped her feet, but I couldn't hear what she was saying over my distress. I tried to vault over her, to save Martin, but she wouldn't budge. My eyes were fixated on the tower of orange light as it dissipated. As my eyes slowly adjusted to the lack of blinding light, I saw a form fly toward Entei, slashing across its face. Entei swiped a giant paw at it, but it moved swifter than a raging river. Another roar, and Entei turned tail into the woods behind the Dreamyard, the sound of its trampling feet echoing in the ruins. I stood in shock, as a dark blue otter walked back toward us. A short mohawk adorned its head, and two scalchops rested on longer legs. Martin breathed heavily, but smiled as he meandered his way back to his friends.


	4. Growth and Decay

I fell to my knees, in shock. Martin had survived, and more importantly, he had grown through the battle. His new form was sleek, and he had lost a lot of the "roundness" Oshawotts seem to have. I couldn't believe that he made it. Laurence crawled toward him, before tackling him in a bear hug. I heard a muffled chuckle from Martin, before they parted. Kaida's tuft of hair on her head began to give off heat, and she walked to give Martin a hug as well. They had feelings for each other, I already knew it. Despite Kaida being taller than him to begin with, he now towered almost a foot above her. He only came up to mid-thigh to me, but he had grown almost two feet in the blink of an eye. Martin looked embarrassed to receive the hug, but returned the favor and closed his eyes in comfort. It made me happy, knowing that my friends got along so well. Fiona began to walk toward Martin, before he drew back. He shifted his body between Fiona and us; Kaida, Laurence, and me.

"I think you should explain what happened here, and why I shouldn't believe that you lead it to us," Martin said slowly and deliberately. He was cautious, and I suddenly realized that I should be as well. Fiona had suddenly appeared, and then Entei showed up? That was no coincidence.

"Listen Martin, this wasn't my fault. Zekrom didn't send -"

"Why couldn't Zekrom send a monster for us to fight? To test Black's skill and knowledge? This is not something our family should have to endure." Martin was right, and I was taken aback at his use of my new name. It would certainly take some getting used to. Fiona's mane flared in anger, but then began to calm.

"Martin, I understand how you feel this way. But trust me, if Zekrom wanted to kill you guys, he would have done so already. He is much more powerful than you can even imagine." Fiona seemed exasperated, and desperate to join us. I felt bad if she was an outcast. I wanted to help her, and I knew it was my duty to help somebody in need.

"Listen, Martin, I agree with Fiona. She risked her life for Black, and even kept him from sacrificing himself for you. She knew what was best, she wanted to save him." As Laurence spoke, I found Martin looking at me now.

"You… were going to try and save me?" Martin was confused, as if he wasn't aware of the depths of our relationship. I almost chuckled.

"Martin, you know what I said before. You fight for me because you know that I would fight for you if it came to it. Trust me, bud. We're not just friends, you're my family. So are they." I gestured to Kaida and Laurence, and hesitantly swept my hand toward Fiona as well. Martin seemed to soften. "On that note, do you know anything about Entei, Fiona? I don't want to have to encounter something like that again."

"To be honest, Black…" – It was very strange hearing how fast my friends had begun to use my name – "I'm not sure. Entei has been a part of the Johto region, for all I know. I apologize."

"No need to be sorry, Fiona. I'll ask somebody in town. I know somebody that will know a lot about this subject." I hoped Fennel would still remember me. We left the Dreamyard, dodging trainers and wild Pokémon alike. As we got into town, I asked a passerby where Fennel's lab was. Her face lit up with concern, but she pointed to a heavy brick apartment to our left. I nodded in thanks before opening the front door. I knocked multiple times.

"Fennel? You in there? It's me!" I called. I knew she wouldn't know me as Black, maybe she could tell me what me real name was. No response. I knocked one final time, and the door creaked ajar, unlocked and hastily closed. I retrieved my team as we walked cautiously into Fennel's apartment. She had converted it into a makeshift lab. The wallpaper bubbled and wrinkled in various areas, and dust collected by doors and on the window sills. I knew how Fennel was, she rarely would pay attention to her surroundings if she was on to something. I had met her at a convention only once, but we had hit it off quite well. She entertained me with science, and I was able to entertain her by listening well. A scientist loves nobody better than a good listener.

"Professor Fennel? Are you busy?" She was gone, without a trace. Or so it seemed. As I began to look around for her, papers were strewn across the room. Desk drawers were open, and furniture toppled. I released Kaida from her pokèball, as she seemed to know the most about Entei. I wanted her to listen to Fennel and I talk, but it looked like we wouldn't be able to learn more. There was a lengthy silence as I meandered around the mess in her apartment.

"Black… why are you able to talk to us? Other trainers just… command their Pokémon, you know?" Kaida asked, hesitant. Her tail was still, and her hands nervously kneaded against her furry chest. I had not begun to think about my gift, and had no way to explain it. I told her that I had no explanation. She grasped at a loose paper on a coffee table, and handed it to me. "Do you think this could be it? The reason why, I mean." I took the paper from her and glanced at the title. _Dream Mist and its Effect on Human Beings._ By Professor Fennel. Huh. I skimmed it, hoping to glean the most important information.

"Kaida, it says here that 'Dream Mist' is the vapor that Munna and Musharna give off. When you were given to me, I had a… hallucination, I guess. Dream Mist supposedly can cause hallucinations and visions."

"Do you think your gift has to do with the Dream Mist too?"

"I don't know. The only thing it mentions outside of hallucinations is 'odd effects in certain susceptible youth.' I don't remember much about my childhood, so I might have visited the Dreamyard once or twice. This is definitely interesting. Another thing, how did I end up in the Dreamyard after getting knocked out? All of this is so odd. I can only attribute it to Zekrom's presence, but it seems like he's lying to me…" I trailed off, hoping that my 'patron Pokémon' didn't hear me. Kaida nervously shuffled around papers on the table, wanting to find something more about me. "Why are you nervous about this?" Kaida paused for a long time.

"I met N when I was really young. Martin mentioned that you battled some guy in Accumula, and I knew it was N immediately. I just… don't want you to be manipulated like him. Team Plasma has treated him terribly, and –"

"Wait, he works with Team Plasma? I remember his hair color, but…" I was shocked, because he hadn't participated in their rally. A person who can talk to Pokémon would be an astounding speaker for their cause.

"Yes, but they have changed him. I was brought to him, as a friend. I had been abused by my previous trainer, and was put into an adoption center. Team Plasma has only had him talk with Pokémon that have been hurt by people, and he has been lead to believe that everybody treats their Pokémon with anger and hate. I used to think that, until you took me in. I'm happy that you, with Martin and Laurence, had come to save me from being hurt anymore. I don't want you to turn into N, even with your similarities, you know?"

"You're a part of the team now. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe now." Kaida nodded, seeming slightly more disheartened than before. My words didn't soothe her. I pulled her onto my back, hoping to make her feel a little more comfortable. I scribbled a quick note on a piece of paper mentioning my arrival. I left it on her desk, hoping she would get a hold of me by cross-transceiver.

After leaving Fennel's place, I released Fiona, Laurence, and Martin. Kaida and I discussed our findings with them, before asking what they thought.

"There's a museum in the next town over, Nacrene. You might be able to find out more about Entei there," Fiona suggested.

"That's not a bad idea. I'm pretty sure there's a gym there too, we should challenge it. I hope we can use more than just one Pokémon this time." As we turned to leave, I saw two men run through the city square, being chased closely by Cheren. He was moving fast, but losing ground.

"Cheren, wait!" I raced after them. Cheren tore down the road, before stopping, clearly out of breath. He stood halfway through Route 4 when I caught up to him.

"Why are you chasing those guys?"

"They stole some damn Pokémon from a kid!" Cheren was exhausted, he wouldn't be able to continue after them for a while.

"I can take care of them. Which way did they go?"

"Into Wellspring Cave. That way." He pointed to a dark opening in a hill. I forgot how afraid I was of caves, and rushed in after the thieves, the maw of the rock swallowing me whole. I squinted through the darkness, hoping to see some trace of the Pokémon thieves.

"Do you see them anywhere?" I asked my team. Fiona's mane glowed more brightly, providing a dim light. It was just enough to see a few feet ahead of us. I heard something skitter around my feet, and jumped. I was terrified of dark, enclosed spaces. It was only a small comfort that my friends were with me. I was suddenly knocked off of my feet by the thieves trying to take me out. The rock rushed up to greet me, but I rolled to take the fall on my back, rather than my head. I cried out in pain, but pushed to get on my feet again. I was tangled up with the men, and as I tried to escape, I was punched and kicked. I tried to fight back, but I had never been too strong. It felt like an eternity until my Pokémon intervened. Martin leaped into the fray, and pushed me with an incredible strength I hadn't expected for a creature his size. As the men got up and tried to rush at me again, Kaida jumped on one and bit down hard on his shoulder. A scream, and they stopped trying to attack us with their bare hands. Two pokèballs clattered to the ground, and two Patrats bared their two fangs in tandem. Fiona didn't hesitate to charge at one, knocking it to the ground. Laurence beat the other one onto its back, against the rocky earth. He stood on top it, snarling behind a row of icy teeth. It was a beautiful sight, to see my friends fight so ferociously.

"Alright, alright. Here're your stupid Pokémon." They rolled a couple of pokèballs toward me, and I scooped them up and into my bag. Without a sound, the two men were suddenly doused in water. As they turned to find their aggressor, a bolt of electricity shocked both of them. They slumped to the ground. Were they dead? I didn't know. Before I could speak, my Pokémon backed away frantically. A massive starfish, almost three feet long floated through the air, toward me. A small dog-like creature darted behind it.

"_Greetings. I am Oaxaca. This is my friend Jagged. We were attacked by those men and their Pokémon before. We owe you our lives._" The starfish spoke with a grating voice, it sounded almost artificial. Jagged didn't speak. He just glared.

"It is our duty. Black, our trainer, has taught us to fight for those in need, even when it is dangerous," Martin spoke, before bowing. His little mohawk bowed with him. He spoke like a true leader, and I felt good to be held in such high regard from the ones who risked their safety for me.

"_If you don't mind _" – The Starmie turned toward me – "_I believe Jagged and I would like to fight for you. I have been in touch with the heavens, and I feel as if a war between many humans will arise soon. I know that I am choosing the right side, due to your Pokémon's respect for you. Please, accept us."_ Oaxaca was eloquent when he spoke, and even his odd voice sounded powerful in speech. Jagged continued to stare in caution, but I noticed his crouched body becoming less tense.

"I would be happy to have you. You both seem like formidable partners." The starfish seemed powerful, and smart. He would be a crucial tactician to use in battle. Jagged, on the other hand, seemed more like a hired gun, a powerful opponent that chose the strongest trainer. When I realized this, I made a mental note of how I come off to Pokémon. I must seem like an experienced trainer, with my rare and fearsome Pokémon. "Nacrene City is our next stop!"

"After we deliver these Pokémon to their rightful owner…?" Kaida nudged my shin gently.

"Oh yeah. After that."

* * *

My team of Pokémon (six of them now!) walked into town. We found Cheren and Bianca sitting on a staircase near the Pokémon Center. In between them was a small girl, her head in her hands. As she looked up toward me, her eyes wet with tears, she realized what I was carrying for her. I released her two Pokémon simultaneously. A small Lillipup and Purrloin sprinted toward their owner, and the little girl followed suit. They collapsed in a tangle of love and emotion, and I felt proud to be part of a team that could do good deeds amidst the evil of Team Plasma. Bianca ran to me, and wrapped her arms around me, whispering a quiet thank you. Without hesitation, I returned her tight grasp, and held her tight against me. Cheren and her were a large part of my past.

"I didn't know if you were coming back. Thank you so much. I… should have done something earlier." Cheren seemed to reach for a handshake, but pulled me closer, our chests bumping against each other. Bro hugs. I can roll with that.

"Cheren, you did the best you could. I got lucky. My new friends Oaxaca and Jagged helped out more than I even did." I forgot about the incapacitated men in the cave. I wonder what happened to them.

"Black, you're amazing!" The small girl cried. I opened my mouth to reply, before closing it in shock. I hadn't told her my name.

"What did she say?" I murmured to Bianca.

"She said you're amazing? I think." Bianca looked back toward the girl, who was currently cuddling with her Lillipup on the concrete. I guess love doesn't really have to be comfortable all the time.

"No, what did she call me?"

"Dude, she said your name. Black… are you doing okay?" Cheren asked, his eyebrows raised. He was aware that there was something going on. I looked to Fiona, whose eyes were confused as well. Could it be that she happened to come up with my own name?

"It's a long story. I got hit by a Vine Whip, lost all of my memory up until we got our Pokémon. Heh, whoops!" Sheepishly, I shrugged my shoulders.

"You forgot your name?! This could have some really bad side effects! We need to get you to a hospital! Black, you need to come with us to Nacrene City, I know a doctor there. This is serious!"

"Okay, okay! We'll go to the doctor. I was going to go to Nacrene anyway. We have some" – I paused, and looked at Fiona again – "business to take care of."

"That can wait! I don't want you to pass out or anything. Please, just come with me." I followed Bianca, and Cheren fell in behind us. The trio was finally back together. We were in the hospital together, but together nonetheless. Bianca and Cheren left to do… something. I wasn't paying attention. Now, I waited patiently in the patients' waiting room. I had checked in almost a half hour ago. Laurence sat next to me, mildly bouncing in the soft chairs. I looked over at him and he grinned.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked him, slyly. He was too happy, something must have happened.

"Well, I've been talking a lot to Fiona…" Laurence looked away, embarrassed, but still smiling. I knew what was going through his head.

"Yeah. . . and?" I stuck out my hand and pushed him gently on the shoulder.

"And nothing!" – a small giggle escaped his belly – "I just think she's really nice."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll see to keeping you guys partners in double battles. You seem like a good team, we narrowly won against those preschoolers!"

"Shut up, you know we're your favorite." Laurence stuck out his bluish tongue. I was going to retort, but was silenced when I heard my name called.

"Is it alright if my friend comes in the back with us?" I asked the nurse.

"Sorry sweetie. No Pokémon are allowed. Waiting room only." Instead of having him sit alone, I encapsulated him in his pokèball and stuffed it in my bag. I followed the lady back into a separate room, to wait some more. I thought about her odd pink hairstyle until the doctor came to join me. He did the basics, but asked me a hundred more questions than normal. He dismissed me after a diagnosis, that didn't tell me much more than I already knew. I left, and walked to the coffee shop that Cheren and Bianca had agreed to meet me at. Nacrene City was filled with old storehouses, and this vintage shop had been converted from one. The rugged metal walls and cement floors added character to the place, like it had been hastily slapped together in a day's work.

"So?!" Bianca was excited to hear the news.

"They don't know why I lost my memory. They don't think I'll have any other symptoms though. It's just a matter of picking up the pieces, I guess." I shifted my gaze down to the floor. There were a lot of blemishes in the concrete.

"Hey, you know we're not going to leave that to you, right? We're here for you, bro. Always. You need anything, call us up on the cross transceiver." Cheren put a hand on my shoulder. It had been so long since we were kids. I remember his hands, so small, playing rock paper scissors or Go Fish or… I guess I had found a memory. I made a noise that wasn't quite a chuckle, then made eye contact with him.

"Thank you, Cheren… I don't really know what to say. My memories are gone, but you're my friends, as much as you were before." – I paused, unsure of the destination of my train of thought – "Are you guys going to challenge the gym?"

"Well, we already fought Lenora… while you were at the appointment… sorry. We're going to go to the next town." Bianca nodded sharply at the end of her sentence. I sensed her hesitation to leave an amnesiac on his own.

"How many Pokémon are allowed to fight?" I asked, already beginning to think through my top picks in my team.

"Only one. We're allowed to use two in our third and fourth gym battles, I think. Not sure, don't quote me," Cheren said. His eyebrows furrowed, deep in searching through his mind for the right answer.

"Well… Cheren and I are going to go to Castelia. Meet us there?" Bianca asked.

"Definitely! I have a feeling it'll be fast," I added that last sentence to show them that I hadn't changed much. Bianca seemed to be more at ease, and Cheren's smile wavered slightly. I forgot how much he didn't like my overconfidence. I'd make sure to tone it down next time he and I met up. I left with them, but turned toward the gym. Finding a secluded street beside the museum, I released my friends from their pokèballs and convened our second meeting to choose who fought the gym.

"Oh, oh! I can do it." Laurence leaped in excitement.

"Laurence, I chose you for the last one. Besides, I know Lenora's Pokémon hit pretty hard. You're stronger and faster, but if you get hit, you're going to hurt a lot more than some of our friends.

"_I'd be willing to fight for you, Black. I am swift, as well as small. I can be a hard target for them to hit._"

"Oaxaca, you're almost the biggest on our team. However, you are fast, and clever. I'll think about it." I looked over my other choices. Fiona stood quietly, next to Jagged. Jagged yawned and stretched his back legs, before snapping back to a position that I had recently begun calling _You don't even know me, Mom!_ Endearingly, of course. Kaida and Martin stood close to each other. I noticed Kaida whisper something to Martin, before he giggled shyly. I think those two were up to no good.

"Martin!" He stood up straight, nervous that I had caught him. Little did he know, I had something else on my mind. "I think I'll take you. You've trained the most, and you can take the most hits. Entei definitely proved that." Martin's mouth broke into a wide smile, and Kaida lightly wrapped an arm around him. He gently put his hand on her opposite shoulder, as I turned to the starfish. I pushed the adorable scene out of my head.

"I think the gym can make an exception, I'd like to have you with me to give me pointers. It'll be helpful to have a second voice on the field for us. I'd like you to be my tactician, Oaxaca." The starfish nodded, in an odd-floating-starfish way of nodding. It seemed like we had everything under control, and I was looking forward to this battle. It would certainly be more of a challenge than Cilan.

* * *

I pulled a book from the shelf, and a small switch clicked. The gigantic bookshelf in front of me began to slide away, revealing a secret staircase. I assumed this was Lenora's lair.

"Good job with the book puzzle, Oaxaca."

"_I do love tricky riddles. Needless to say, I didn't love that._" I was beginning to love the sarcastic Starmie, he was always full of cutting remarks. Even better was the fact that they were almost never directed at me. I cautiously made my way down the carpeted steps, Oaxaca floating silently beside me. We were greeted with a dimly lit room, filled with more books. A woman sat at an antique wooden desk. Her dark skin barely reflected the light from the ceiling, but she wore a light-colored outfit, something that I assumed had to do with archaeology.

"You finally joined me! It's good to see you, Black. I've heard a lot about you from your friends. I expect a challenging fight!" At that, she tossed a pokèball at the ground, and a larger Lillipup appeared. I replied with my own Pokémon, and Martin sprung into the room, dual scalchops in hand. His whiskers twitched with anticipation.

"_That's a Herdier. First evolution of Lillipup. Martin needs to stay away from its mouth, it has very powerful jaws,_" Oaxaca advised.

"Martin, focus! You need to land every one of your hits." Martin nodded, and a small aura of energy appeared around his body.

"Richard, use Take Down!" Lenora commanded, pointing a finger at Martin. She was an admirable trainer, her Pokémon fought fiercely for her. I already had grown to respect her, as her presence was confident, but not cocky. The dog leapt toward Martin, head-butting him to the ground. Martin grimaced in pain, and it looked like even Richard, Lenora's Herdier, was hurt from the attack too.

"_Looks like Take Down can hurt the attacker as well - _"

"Thanks Oaxaca, I see that." I didn't mean to be snappy, but Martin seemed to be hurt more than expected. I had given him a berry to heal in the midst of battle, but he didn't seem to think that he needed it.

"Martin, use Razor Shell!" Martin leapt with great speed, and slammed a scalchop in the back of the dog. It yelped in pain, and staggered to the ground. Lenora ran to it, but before she could lay a hand on it, it had gotten back on its feet, ready to fight again. Martin had done massive damage, one more hit and the Herdier would be out of the fight.

"Richard, you have this! Take Down, one more time!" A familiar faint glow appeared around the Herdier as it charged toward Martin. Martin had to move out of the way, or he was going to be hurt, badly. Martin stood still, waiting until the dog closed in on him. He dodged with excellent speed, and the dog had skidded to a stop. Martin rolled to the ground, but before he could get to his feet, the Herdier leapt toward him. I heard impact, a snap, and then silence. I watched my friend fall to the ground, defeated. One scalchop had shattered, its pieces scattered across the room. Before Lenora could retrieve her Pokémon, I noticed Martin's body seeping thick liquid. No. No, no. This isn't happening. I sprinted so fast, I swear I could feel the earth moving underneath my feet. I touched my hand to his chest, and felt the sticky substance in his fur. No heartbeat, no pulse. His eyes were still, closed. I felt my body shiver, my skin crawl. Then I felt the anger. Anger in the way I couldn't feel anything other than boiling rage, tossing my love and happiness into the dust. Anger where my heart changed to a machine, pumping blood, nothing else, no feeling, no emotion, just raw flesh, a cog in the machine of my body whose only desire was revenge.


	5. Memories

I stared at the cold linoleum floor like a widow stares at a grave. It reflected the harsh fluorescent lights above me as easily as a pool of placid water. Small, timid footsteps made their way to spot in front of me, but out of my line of sight. I moved my head to look at the nurse, but my eyes stayed at her feet. She mentioned something about my friend, Martin. My gaze moved up her body, not stopping at curves or skin, but carving into her like a knife, jagged and serrated. I stopped; looked into her own eyes, and saw a softness to her face. Not sadness, but sympathy. This routine had been practiced, and this nurse had been working for a very long time, it seemed. A small white hat adorned her pink hair, neatly pulled back into a couple of loops. Her collar was free of grime, but the rest of her clothing was covered in loose strings, spots, and wrinkles. She opened her mouth, paused, and then closed it again. She held out her hand, closed to what was inside. I lifted my own arm to take whatever she was offering me. A tiny scalchop fell flat into my palm, heavier than anything I had lifted.

My fingers hovered over the screen of the PC. Its glassy screen beckoned my fingers, but I hesitated. Kaida, Laurence, Jagged, Fiona… what would they think? Oaxaca advised me to tell them all at once. I didn't respond. His voice didn't seem as artificial as it once was. I knew now that he must have some sort of heart in that gleaming sapphire on his belly. I retrieved the pokèballs from the PC, and then walked to Pinwheel Forest. The sharp smell of pine cut into my thoughts, reminding me of home. Playing in the woods, mowing the lawn, yard work on a hot day. It seemed my memories weren't as far away as I thought. I only wished that I could forget what happened to Martin. I breathed in deeply, the smell of nature entering my nose again, and released my friends from their unknowing spheres.

The small rough shell left my hand, into Kaida's. Her face was concrete, unmoving. Her tail swung from side to side lazily, before dropping to the ground. She didn't cry, didn't make any noise. She just nuzzled next to me, her eyes closed, her breathing soft.

Laurence sat in almost-silence, his eyes darting back and forth, mumbling words quietly, sniffing periodically. He struggled to keep his composure. His oversized paws swatted at the ground in periodic bouts of anger. He didn't look up at me, and I could sense that he wasn't ready to forgive my mistake.

Fiona's mane seemed to snuff out. Her deep blue eyes darkened, her demeanor became a shadow of before. She crossed her legs and curled up against the grass, the air no longer warm around her.

Jagged looked at my face, before lowering his gaze and loosening his muscles. I could see he wasn't ready to speak to me, but he must have shared a similar experience in the past. A small spark of electric empathy bounced between us as he laid his chin on my crossed legs.

Oaxaca laid still on the ground, the gem on his chest pointed to the sky. The second star on his back ceased to spin, and I almost heard a metallic sigh emanate from him.

I moved from the pile of dreary pokèmon, and left to take a walk. Out of earshot now, I sat. I unlaced my shoes and pulled my socks off. The earth was cold under my feet. Cold as a corpse, it seemed. A thousand million thoughts rushed through my mind. A life, a friend's life - spent to fulfill a quest whose direction was not clear. I needed answers, not death. How would I ever forgive the woman who killed my best friend? At her hand, I lost a piece of my heart, a memory that would never be forgotten. Suddenly, I felt a familiar hum of energy. I stood and turned, and Zekrom was there.

"You're here to tell me 'told you so', right?" The smile of a joke never appeared on my mouth. Zekrom didn't reply. "Fine! I'll start. You were right, Zekrom. I lost my friend. This wasn't how I wanted it to happen, but you were right! You were so goddamn right, you fucking lizard!" – I paused to take a shaky breath, trying to compose myself, but nothing seemed to slow the maelstrom of emotion – "Fuck this, fuck everything! Martin… he's gone, and it's all my fault. I killed him! He's never coming back, thanks to me – Oh god…" A sob escaped, and the dam had broken. My anguish poured out of me like a flood. Sadness, loss, and grief were quickly drowned by anger. Rage. Hate.

"_I chose you for a reason. This is not about your friends, it is about you._" Zekrom was calm. I fell to my knees, before slumping onto my belly in the grass. I pounded the ground with my fists, flailed and kicked with my feet. I wept.

A small tap on my shoulder. Kaida was trying to get my attention. I swiped a hand, trying to remove the nuisance. Another tap.

"Kaida, listen - " I turned, to find a small sprite hovering over my right shoulder. No more than two feet tall, its pinkish body floated curiously by my side. Its' eyes, unblinking, were wide, but not scared. Its tiny head was swept into a pink tuft of hair at the top, with two green antennae protruding delicately from inside it. Two small translucent wings flapped lazily from its back. My body grew quite still, a sense of eerie calm sweeping over my body. Its eyes blinked curiously at me, the boy who fought against the ground. I wiped a stray tear from my cheek before sitting up fully.

"Black, I think you should come with me." It seemed my name had been passed around to every Pokémon in the universe. The tiny fairy held out an even tinier hand, gesturing for me to grab onto it. I wasn't sure what came over me, but I did. I was whisked away in an instant.

Flashes of light danced across my vision, before being wiped away and replaced with a view of a small room. I felt as if I resided outside of the realm I was watching. A dim floor lamp enveloped the room in warm orange light. Cold hardwood flooring swept across the room, where a small twin-sized bed lay. I squinted to see the man sitting at the edge of the bed. He was bare-chested, but wore wrinkled flannel pants. A familiar mop of green hair adorned his head, slumping over his eyes as he bent forward. Hands clasped together in desperation, he began to speak softly, but with strength.

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. Give me forgiveness, for I have recklessly endangered my friends, and paid a heavy price. Only in you will I be able to forgive my aggressor. Amen." Cilan lifted his head before falling back onto the mattress. His eyes were red, his hair bedraggled. It was as if he had not slept or showered for many days.

I raised a hand to my mouth, trying to swallow back a sob. I felt a lonely tear arise from the corner of my eye, before sliding down into the crease of my nose. I knew that I had caused this man's misfortune and depression, but I could not do anything for him from where I was. The fairy moved to block my vision with Cilan. Her wings fluttered slowly, as if she was only barely fighting off gravity.

"Black, do you know why I have brought you here?" I shook my head, unable to form words. How could I have been so selfish? I didn't give a second thought to Cilan's loss. No remorse, no regret. Now I truly felt his pain. A wound deeper than Martin's death began to cut through my heart, a wound that showed me how blind I had been to my actions. "You see? You are not only a victim, but a perpetrator. However, you need not regret your actions in battle. Cilan has fought to forgive you, as you must fight to forgive Lenora." The fairy made sense. She spoke gently, and her words stitched my wounds closed. Even still, it was not easy to overcome this great loss.

"Take me back. I need to talk to my friends."

"Very well." A flicker of light, and we were swept away once again.

* * *

"This isn't the forest," the fairy said, voice full of curiosity. What had gone wrong? Where were we, and how did we get there? A rumble of thunder sounded all around us. I almost rolled my eyes, when Zekrom stepped in front of us. He towered over me, and the fairy seemed to shrink in comparison.

"You think you could have made a less dramatic entrance?" I said bitterly. He ignored me.

"_This is not the time to show Black his past, Celebi. I will not allow you to teleport any longer._" Zekrom's chest grumbled, as if he was growling. He was silenced quickly by Celebi's suddenly-powerful voice in response.

"Oh Zekrom, you could have just asked nicely. I'm sorry if I disobeyed you, _master_." Celebi was surprisingly sassy, for such an innocent-looking sprite. I almost chuckled, but I didn't. Zekrom didn't like her answer, because a bolt of lightning arced off his back and crackled in the air above us. I flinched, then regained my original defiant posture.

"_This is not the time for jokes, Celebi-"_

"How many times do I have to tell you? My name is _Lillian_," she snapped.

_"__I'm sorry Lily, but we are running out of time, and soon you will not be able to use your powers as effectively. Team Plasma is going to attack, but I'm not sure where._"

"Team Plasma? The knight cosplayers who want us to release our Pokémon? Yeah, right," I replied. I thought back to N's appearance, Kaida's conversation in Fennel's lab, Team Plasma's protest… It didn't make sense. They didn't seem violent.

"_Do you remember those thieves? The ones who took that girl's Pokémon? They were a part of Team Plasma. They were low-level grunts, so they had to take orders from somebody._" I squinted, trying to take this all in. It was no shocking revelation. As I rustled through the memories in my head, I was hit with a memory of Martin, playing in the grass outside of Accumula Town. His face after he accidentally killed the Charmander. His bravery and courage when fighting Entei, his cute interactions with Kaida. It all came rushing back, without pause.

"_I can make you forget, you know. I can make your friends forget._" Zekrom's voice was soft. It contained something I had only heard once before. Pity? Sympathy? Love? No.

"What do you mean, forget?"

"_I can erase your memories. You don't have to be sad anymore._" As these words spilled into my head, I came to a sudden realization.

"Did you… no. Did you make me forget my childhood? After I got hurt at the gym… was that you?" Zekrom's face shimmered with a look of guilt, like a kid who got his hand caught in the cookie jar. It was replaced instantly with his normal stoicism, before he spoke again.

"_You can better focus on the task at hand now._"

"No, Zekrom, that isn't what I needed! You can't just… erase my memories because you feel like it! I'm not some pawn in your grand game. I'm sick of this, I'm done! Find somebody else to do your dirty work." I was proud of my ability to stand up to Zekrom. Unfortunately, I was stuck here until he or Lily released me. Zekrom didn't try to intimidate me this time.

"_I am not wrong in this. You will see, in time. Leave my realm. We will not speak again until you need me._" He turned, and slipped into the mist. It cleared, and Lily and I were standing (and fluttering) in a clearing. I could hear my friends nearby. I trudged toward them, uneasy about the conversation I knew we must have.

As Lily and I made our way toward them, I began to hear their voices. I stopped to listen, so I would better know how to interact with them.

"- I'm not saying that Black shouldn't be depressed. But we should do our best to keep him happy! He does a lot for us." It was Kaida.

"Are any of us going to volunteer for Lenora's gym? He won't want to take the risk… after what happened." Fiona quieted down at her last statement.

"I can take care of it, trust me." Lily was floating in the center of the group. I instinctively looked to my left, where she had been. She had made her way there without a sound. On top of that, I hadn't expected her to be a part of my team, let alone battle a gym that had proved so difficult. I moved into their view, and before I could explain what I had experienced, Kaida stood up and walked toward me. Small arms wrapped around my shin as Kaida tried to embrace me the best she could. I sat down, so I could look her directly in the eyes. Crossing my legs, and holding her paws in a relaxed grip, I began.

"You know how much Martin meant to me. I know that he meant a lot to you too. I swear, I will do everything in my power so we will not experience loss again. This is my fault… and I know that." I felt small beads of tears come to my eyes again.

"I don't blame you for what happened. I want you to overcome this loss with us. You don't need to be strong for us. We're friends, not children." Kaida spoke as if she had memorized the words. I nodded, before closing my eyes. I reached up, and rubbed them viciously, as if I would erase the sights I had seen.

We wandered back into Nacrene City. The cobbled streets, sloppy and winding, cut in contrast to the neat railroad tracks, clean and orderly. Warehouses were to my left and right, their corrugated walls rough to the eye. Jagged crept by my side, his gaze unfaltering. His body crackled with what I assumed to be static electricity. He sounded like a crackling TV with every step. Lily buzzed beside me, occasionally alighting on a street sign to get a better sign of where we were. The three of us rounded a corner, and started toward the museum. I wanted to crush its white roman columns to dust. The thought of seeing Lenora again sent a rage through my gut, and almost coalesced into a yell. I gritted my teeth.

"I understand." Jagged was not the Pokémon he was only seconds ago. I looked into the eyes of an understanding friend, one who had experienced pain as I have. I nodded slightly, my jaw unclenching only a little. I stiffly put my right foot in front of my left.


	6. Broken Glass

The library was silent. The trainers from before recognized me, and they stood uncomfortably, as if they were at a funeral they weren't invited to. I glared at each and every one of them, against my better judgment. I knew they hadn't done any wrong, but still. I hated this place. I wondered if they even cleaned the blood off the carpet yet. I trudged my way toward the already-open secret passage, my feet feeling ten times as heavy.

The room sent feelings of anger and resentment through my mind. The woman, even more. My mouth fought to keep my tongue from saying words it would regret. I instead shifted my gaze downward, at the warm red carpet. I was forming a sentence to confront Lenora with, before I felt a strong embrace collide with my body. In shock, I recoiled, and pulled away. Lenora stood before me, her clothes ruffled and face distraught. She felt the guilt I did when I encountered Cilan. I noticed tears were in her eyes, and before I realized it, a simple statement wriggled its way out of my heart.

"I forgive you," I blurted. I had not meant to say that. It was as if my sorrow was lessened immensely. Jagged stepped closer to me, as if to embolden me to say more. Lily meandered aimlessly around the room, touching the spines of every book in the underground library. Lenora shook her head, trying to say something in response, but I knew what a difficult ordeal it was. I wanted to say more as well, but I was at a loss. My foot found the carpet again, and I brushed the toe of my shoe against the soft ground.

"Thank you… thank you, Black." Lenora breathed deeply. My stare wandered upward again, and they met hers. A lonely tear came to my eye, but I blinked it back. Lenora was not as successful, but she didn't seem to care.

"I still need the gym badge. I am going to use Lily this time." Lenora made a quiet chuckle, and stepped back.

"Very well." Lenora released Richard. Martin's murderer. Lily swept down from the ceiling, and gracefully touched the ground near my side. I recalled Jagged and stuffed his capsule in my bag. I knew I didn't need to give Lily directions. I was nervous to lead her into a fight, especially when my last had done so poorly. She looked carefully at me, before giving me a nod of encouragement. She was confident that she would win, so why wasn't I?

"Go ahead," was the only command I gave Lily. She was powerful, and she knew that. She soared into the air, almost up to the high ceilings. I craned my neck to look at her, before a flurry of glowing leaves shot toward the Herdier on the ground. Richard swiftly dodged a few, before becoming overwhelmed. He was pelted by several sharp leaves, and was knocked to the ground. Lily continued her onslaught, and launched another wave of leaves. Richard was unconscious quickly, and Lenora retrieved him. She stepped back to her desk, where another pokèball sat. She tossed it toward me, and a large rodent stood at attention before Lily. Its eyes glowing with an odd power, it crouched in anticipation.

"Victor, use Retaliate!" Lenora demanded. The Watchog threw itself at Lily, who didn't move fast enough to get out of the way. She was thrown through the air, unable to slow her momentum with her petite wings. A crash, and she toppled into a bookshelf, knocking several old tomes onto the ground.

"Lily! No!" I cried. This couldn't happen again. I ran to her, before realizing that she was shaking off the attack, her tiny wings aflutter again. A gleam of resentment flashed through her eyes, before she zipped through the air toward her attacker. A blur of speed, Lily rushed toward the chest of the meerkat, her wings fluttering like a hummingbird. She sliced through the air around him, and as Victor was thrown off balance, Lily spun around and struck him again. A single leaf in her hand, she maneuvered around his sharp claws and raked his chest with the razor edge. As Victor began to grow tired, she pulled away quickly, before throwing a bombardment of leaves at the groundhog. It fell over, defeated, but still alive. Lenora, seeing her defeat, recalled Victor, and reached for another item on her desk. I breathed a deep sigh of relief as Lily fluttered over to me. She was hurt, but she was going to make it. What a powerful friend to have on my team. I was looking forward to learning more about her.

"Here's your badge. You've gone through more than most trainers to achieve this. Also, Cilan told me to give you this. He said he has come to terms to what has happened." She passed me two small badges. One was diamond-shaped, with three gleaming stones in the middle. Each one was colored to Cilan, Cress, and Chili's respective elements. Lenora's was a thin purple rectangle, coated in a silky gold tint. A small smile made its way onto my face. That hadn't happened in a while.

"Thank you, Lenora. I'll - " A rumble upstairs cut me off. Then a scream, and I was already running up the steps. A cascade of books clattered from their shelves to my right, a teenage girl was cowering in fear to my left. I released Jagged to rush ahead in a blitz of lightning and speed. A flash of fire, and he was thrown backward. He crumpled to the ground by my side, knocked out by a Pokémon downstairs.

"Trainers, please put your Pokémon away. Nobody needs to get hurt," a voice from a megaphone monotoned, sounding almost bored. I recalled Jagged, but left Lily to sit unhindered in my bag. She was strong, and if I was in a pinch, I would need her. I scrambled down beneath the wall of the balcony, and peered over when the voice stopped shouting. Oh god, Zekrom was right. They were attacking.

One, two… twelve knights stood downstairs. One stood on the front desk, shouting into a megaphone. He didn't wear a grey hood like the rest of his teammates. His dark brown hair was tied back into a ponytail, and a thin layer of stubble covered his jaw and chin. A overly large Magmortar, the one that hit Jagged, stood beside him. It reached almost six feet tall, matching the height of the Plasma leader next to him. I was ready to release Oaxaca in case things became worse. Trainers downstairs were being held hostage by various Pokémon, most unthreatening in nature. A Patrat growled at me from the stairwell. When did they get here? Where were the cops?

"Excuse me sir. I am Lenora, the Gym Leader and the Lead Curator at this museum. What do you intend on doing?" As she said this, three knights went to work on dismantling the ancient skeleton in the main display. They removed its skull gingerly, and set it on the ground even more so. Megaphone Man chuckled before speaking again.

"Attention! Everybody. We are Team Plasma. We came here to take this skeleton for research. We will be leaving now." I wanted to punch that stupid smirk off his face. He recalled his Magmortar as the rest of his troops turned to leave, dragon skull in tow. With a clattering of hooves, a massive deer sprung into view, and toppled Megaphone into a glass case, shattering it. Blood sprang out from pockmarks in his skin, but it wasn't enough to keep him from shouting at his teammates to run with the skeleton. I leaped down the stairs, to confront him. Another museum worker tore off the Plasma leader's belt, holding his pokèballs to his waist. Finally, he was unarmed. The deer stood on Megaphone's chest, holding him against the ground. It was steady until Lenora came to its side and set her hand on its neck.

"Good work, Sawsbuck."

"Wait, that's yours?" I asked, incredulously. Why didn't she use it against me?

"Gym Leaders don't need to use all of their Pokémon," she said with a smirk. She turned once again to the ragged man on the ground, whose blood was thickening around him. He might bleed out if not treated immediately. I didn't care.

"Why does Team Plasma need the skull? What's their goal? Who do you work for?!" The man who tore off Megaphone's belt was in a frenzy. Before we could react, Megaphone man erupted in dark laughter, and clenched his jaw, hard.

"No!" Lenora yelled, before reaching to open his mouth. Foam poured out. A suicide pill. I thought that only existed in bad spy movies. Lenora stamped her foot on the ground in anger, before turning and recalling Sawsbuck back into a pokèball. I turned to see museum worker gazing at the belt of four pokèballs.

"What do we do now? What do we do with these Pokémon...? They don't have a trainer anymore…" he said.

"Hawes, honey. We'll figure out something," Lenora replied. I remembered now, Hawes was Lenora's husband, and was a curator at the museum as well. He gripped the belt tight in his fist, before turning toward the front door.

"We need to go after them, Lenora."

"You're right. Black, I hope you have more than just Lily and that unconscious Electrike. You're coming with me." I nodded in agreement, at a loss for words. Since when was I helping stop criminals? This sounds like a bad self-insert fanfic. Hm, I must be feeling better. My humor's coming back. As we excited the museum, I released Fiona, hoping that she would be able to move faster than the rest of my team. Lenora and I jogged to the outer edge of Pinwheel Forest. Fiona trotted beside us, her long legs barely striding to keep up. As we reached the first layer of trees, a voice called out behind us.

"Lenora! Long time, no see! What are you doing here?" A lanky man wrapped Lenora in an awkward hug that she didn't seem to accept. He was wearing striped pants, an equally awkward red and green color. I could imagine his aura to be like a Cadbury crème egg filled with weird and coated in uncomfortable. I stepped around them, to pursue Team Plasma further into the forest. I heard the guy exclaim he would check the main road (full of trainers) for Plasma grunts. Lenora nodded hastily and followed me into the dense growth of the forest. I could hear wild Pokémon scampering around us.

"That's Burgh. You'll be challenging him next. He's quick to help, but often takes… an easier route," Lenora grunted. I caught a flash of her eyes rolling, and a small smirk traced across my face. I snapped my focus back to the task at hand, pushing through the underbrush and plants around us. Various trainers had jumped out of heavily camouflaged bubbles, but they must have recognized Lenora. They didn't challenge us. Fiona had charged ahead, her mane blazing a trail in front of us.

Out of nowhere, a blast of water knocked her off of her feet. She wildly careened out of vision, as a somehow-vicious-looking Tympole appeared out of the dense forest. I jumped, frightened by its sudden presence. Lenora released a daunting Pokémon, covered in deep brown plates.

"Kangaskhan! Use Hammer Arm!" The massive creature slammed a fist down on top of the Tympole. I averted my eyes, but too late. The entire body of the Tympole was crushed, gore splattering in all directions. The Team Plasma grunt that had just ran out of the bushes after his Pokémon stood in shock. The Kangaskhan threw its body at the man, and swiped him up with a bulky arm. Lenora trudged over to him, mindful of the squashed Tympole on the ground.

"Where is it? Where's the skull?!" Lenora shouted, holding him now in her own tight grasp. The man gasped out something, but I was too far away to hear. The sound of a squashed Tympole continued to drown out all other thoughts in my head. Lenora set the man on the ground and came back to me.

"He says some dipshit named Gorm took the skull. I'll have Burgh track him down, they've probably made their way to Castelia – " She was cut off by an odd man that wasn't Burgh. He wore full-body robes, and a tall rectangular hat upon his head. A wispy mustache decorated his upper lip, accented by the hundreds of wrinkles around his face. I peered at him, hoping that he might share his age. Instead, he shared an item with us: The Dragon Skull. Lenora, still fuming from our encounter in the museum, swiped the skull away from him, and handed it to me gingerly. The old man opened his mouth to speak, but Lenora filled it with her fist before he could with words. The man barely moved, apparently unfazed by the attack.

"Lenora. Black. The Dragon Skull is not the artifact we were looking for. My apologies for causing so much anxiety over the littlest things. I look forward to seeing you again, Black." He nodded respectfully to me, before floating away on a platform of self-righteousness. Lenora reached for his collar, but retracted her arm quickly. I moved to grab him, but she moved in front of me, to block my grasp.

"What are you doing? He's getting away!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms in the air. Gorm was already nowhere in sight. Fiona was by my side again, but I was focused on Lenora.

"He was unarmed. He gave us the skull back as well, he didn't do anything wrong."

"He's a part of Team Plasma! They stole a little girl's pokèmon, and now they rob a museum! They don't deserve any mercy." Why didn't she understand? These men were criminals, and I was going to give them justice.

"I'm not going to let you hurt an innocent old man." I pushed past her, furious.

"Get out of my way. I'm going to Castelia."

* * *

I stood at the foot of the bridge, in awe of the massive structure above me. Blue steel, swooping from steepled towers, each hundreds of feet high. I began to walk on the precariously narrow path, over dozens of commuters passing underneath me in cars. I loved the smell of the city. There was no reason to why I felt so good in urban environments. Small towns were definitely not my thing. Although, I can't remember my hometown. Maybe it was nice.

I was now in Castelia City, soaking in the sights and smog. A glowing red sign lead me to the Pokémon Center, where I healed Fiona and Jagged. I released Kaida and Laurence to make our way toward the gym.

"How are you guys doing?" I asked. I felt like I didn't deserve to ask that question. Laurence looked toward the ground, as did Kaida. Kaida murmured something quietly, and I asked her to repeat it more loudly.

"I said: I'm sad, but I know I just have to move on." I nodded, my mind now focusing on itself. Do I know that I have to move on? What do I do with the hole in my heart?

"I'm so sorry, you guys. Can you forgive me for making the choices I made?" I asked. No tears this time, that was good.

"We don't need to forgive you, Black. You didn't make decisions that lead to Martin dying. It wasn't your fault," Laurence said, eyes still cast toward the ground.

"I know… but I still feel guilty." I guess that's just something I have to overcome. We were at the gym already, and a familiar face had just walked out. Cheren looked excited, he was ogling something in his hand. "Yo, Cheren!"

"Black!" He ran to me, and clapped me on the back. He bent down and said his hello's to Kaida and Laurence, before looking back up at me, a smile on his face. "How are you? How did you like Lenora? She was so fun to talk to, and even more fun to battle!" Should I tell him about Martin? Is that just pleading for sympathy? I forced a smile, telling myself not to say anything. Cheren noticed. "What's wrong?"

"I… lost Martin. I fought Lenora… and he was killed. A critical hit." I maneuvered my eyes downward again, as I heard him take a sharp breath. A pause, then a hand on my shoulder.

"If you wanna talk… I'm here for you, man. I'm so sorry to hear that. It's so… strange, hearing that from you. I never would have imagined that you would lose any Pokémon, considering the rarity that it happens in the first place." I didn't know what to say, and his hand left my shoulder.

"Thanks," I didn't mean to whisper. When I looked up, Cheren was peering at me curiously. He nodded, before making a half-smile appear on his face. He left, leaving me at the entrance of the Castelia Gym. As I stepped inside, I was greeted by none other than Burgh. He seemed to be in a rush. He almost shouted at me as he passed, gesturing for me to follow him.

"You're Black, right?" I nodded. "I need you to come with me, Team Plasma is down at Prime Pier! They're into trouble again." I thought back to my partnership with Lenora.

"If I'm going to fight with you against Team Plasma, you have to stay out of my way. I have unfinished business with them." My words came out darker than I intended, but Burgh didn't seem to care. He nodded enthusiastically, then pulled me along to the pier. Red hell burned in my chest, I needed to enact some revenge on these punks.


	7. Like Candy From a Baby

My shoes slapped against the pavement as Burgh and I ran down to Prime Pier, hoping not to lose the Plasma grunts. I breathed heavily, wishing that Fiona was a bit bigger so she could run and I could just sit on her back. The wind whistled through my hair as I adjusted my hat on my head. Sheesh, how big was Castelia City? It seemed as if Burgh and I had been running for – oh we're here. I noticed a familiar face on the dock.

"Bianca!" I yelled, waving my hands frantically above my head. I was excited to see her. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to feel the same way. As I drew closer to her, I could see that her eyes were red. Tears clung to her face, but her mood lightened as she saw me. Before I could ask what happened, she flung herself at me, burying her face in my chest. I flinched slightly, before wrapping my arms around her tightly. I leaned down and whispered quietly to her.

"What happened?" What else could I say? Her body shook against mine, her muffled wails echoing through my ribcage. I stood in shock, not sure what to do, how to comfort her. I was never good at this kind of thing… A small dark-skinned girl with wild purple hair walked toward me. She looked uncomfortable, but spoke clearly.

"Team Plasma attacked her and stole one of her Pokémon. I tried to follow them, but they got too far away. I don't know what to do… it was my fault that they got away with this."

"Iris… don't say that. I know you did the best you could." Even with Burgh's comforting words, she didn't seem to change. Iris put on a half-hearted smile and walked back toward the edge of the docks, gazing blindly out across the water. Burgh followed her and started up another conversation, but they were too far away for me to hear. Bianca had only just stopped crying. She looked up at me, eyes full of tears. She took a step back, pushing out of my arms. A small embarrassed giggle, and then Bianca stared into my eyes again. I felt warm.

"I'm sorry, Black. I didn't mean to…" She trailed off, now looking at her feet.

"No, Bianca. Don't worry. Did you see which way they went? Burgh and I will go get your Pokémon back."

"I think they went… off in that direction. Please, my Munna…"

"You stay with Iris, Bianca. You'll be safe with her. We'll go get Munna," I said, stronger than I felt. I reached out and bound her in a too-tight hug. She was warm. I let go, and nervously played with the strap on my bag until Burgh was finished talking to Iris. As he drew near me, he gave me a solemn nod before walking away.

"Bye, Bianca. I'll be back soon, with your friend." I turned and followed Burgh. It looked like we were headed back in the same direction as the gym. He waited until we were out of the girls' earshot, before talking about the plan.

"It seems like Team Plasma is taking lots of Pokémon. Iris has been working for the League for a while, she's an apprentice under Alder. She says that she's seen a lot of Plasmas attempt to steal Pokèmon, but Iris has been able to stop them. I only wish she could have this time, as well."

"Who's Alder? And the League? Do you mean the Gym Leaders and Elite Four?"

"Alder is the reigning Champion in Unova… you've probably heard his name before… Dark skinned, spiky red hair…?" He gestured, trying to remind me. I shrugged and shook my head. "Anyway, anyway. You're right, the League is made up of the Gym Leaders and the Elite Four. We try to keep the peace in Unova, by allowing select Pokémon trainers to shadow our work. The Gym Leaders can't be undercover, but their apprentices can." I nodded, to show my understanding. This was a lot of thought to take in. The Gym Leaders had secret trainers watching out for danger? This sounds a lot like surveillance to me. Burgh's awkward demeanor around Lenora was replaced by determination. Justice.

"Did Iris tell you where Team Plasma was? Bianca said she didn't see them."

"Yeah, Iris followed them back."

"But… she said she lost them. Why didn't she get Munna if she knew where they went?"

"The League needs to know where Team Plasma's headquarters are, and Iris couldn't risk that lead by fighting the grunts. They would know they were followed." Could Iris have risked the loss of Bianca's Munna purely for the good of knowing where the headquarters were? Sure, now the League might be able to take down Team Plasma, but Munna could have been sold, or killed. "What are you thinking, Black?" Burgh asked.

"I'm going to make every last one of them pay. For what they did to Bianca, and that other little girl."

"I've got your back, with that. Here we are. No need to be stealthy, we're going to take down their door guards and waltz right in." I pulled a pokèball from my bag, and released Lily. She floated beside me, and I quickly filled her in on the situation. Although a grass Pokémon, her eyes were filled with fire now. As we approached the three unaware guards, Burgh released a Pokémon I had never seen before. A deep blue cloth was hastily wrapped around its body, and a pinkish helmet-shaped head protruded out of it. It floated a few inches off the ground, keeping a watchful eye on the knights no more than a block away. As Burgh and I neared the building, the guards shifted their weight, puffed their chests out. The Pokémon wrapped in cloth disappeared in a blur of speed, and smacked into the nearest knight, toppling him over with a crash. The other two reacted quickly, sending their Pokémon to fight.

"Accelgor, use Double Team!" Accelgor rapidly shifted back and forth, creating a distorted image. It appeared to be three Pokémon, vibrating in place. The grunts' Patrat and Purrloin leaped, and flew through thin air. They fell for Accelgor's trick. "Now use Swift!" The bug tossed razor sharp stars through the air, slicing the enemy Pokémon apart. I realized that Pokémon must hold back in trainer battles, because Accelgor's shurikens were tearing into the Plasma grunts' pokèmon, shredding their fur and skin. I wanted him to turn his attack on the real culprits, Team Plasma. I rushed toward them, Lily buzzing beside me. She released a wave of psychic energy, making one collapse, while I targeted the other. I full-body tackled him, his head smacking into the concrete beneath us. He threw me off of him, into a stone wall. His fist collided with my jaw, and suddenly…

_His fist is on my right. Dodge, jab into chest. Left arm comes in toward my face, I move to right. Grab left arm at maximum reach, wrench forward, throwing him off balance. Press right palm into his left elbow, pushing forward. Harder, and… snap. His arm bends in the wrong direction. Jab heel of foot into back of knee, sending him into the ground. Right foot goes into face, jaw snaps. I win._

The slipstream of thoughts shuddered to a stop, as Burgh dragged me into the building. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, my head pounded. I tore myself away from my animal instincts, hoping to gain an edge on whatever Plasma officials were here. Burgh stopped suddenly, wary of the people standing before him. Three men were in the lobby of the skyscraper, dressed like the old man in the forest… Gorm. He was there too, standing next to…

"Hello, Burgh. And Black! It's nice to see you again. I hope you pay attention this time, as opposed to that time in Accumula Town." The man in the middle looked directly at me. How did he know I was at Accumula? I didn't even recognize him, and he was the one on stage. His eyes were filled with… hatred? No, it was something else. He didn't despise the feeling, he reveled in it.

"Ghetsis," Burgh said dramatically.

"It's time I give you the Munna back, huh? Very well, here it is…" He released the Munna from a pokèball hidden in his robes. I moved to receive it, but Burgh kept a strong hand on my shoulder. Ghetsis' other hand was still cloaked beneath the folds of his robe. I gestured to Munna, to come closer. It drifted lazily across the room. The air was filled with quiet intensity. I felt the heat grow in the room, the hairs on the back of my neck now standing up. I looked up to the ceiling, and saw death.

"Burgh!" I crouched and leapt at him, shoving him out of the way as a massive spear of electricity impaled the ground. I only assumed it was aiming for the two of us. But it wasn't, yet. The Munna, half-burnt, half-crushed, whimpered pitifully on the ground. Burgh's eyes went wide, as the shadow from above swooped down beside its master, Ghetsis.

"Zero, Fire Blast," Ghetsis ordered, pointing directly at us. I dove out of the way as a jet of flame soared across the room, coating the walls in embers and throwing smoke into the air. Lily had been behind me, where was she now? She was already tossing every gambit she had at the dragon, but it didn't seem to work. I scrambled through my bag, and hurled Kaida and Oaxaca into the room. They crouched behind a couch nearby, trying to stay out of sight of Zero.

"Kaida, I need you to take down Ghetsis. Oaxaca, help Lily!" I shouted. Flames continued to batter the walls, I was afraid the building might catch fire completely.

"Got it!" They nodded in unison, and vaulted over the couch at once. I peeked above my cover to check where the dragon was.

"Black, get down!" Another wave of fire was launched toward me, I hit the ground and ducked. The heat singed my eyebrows, it felt as if the skin on my face and hands was melting off. I wasn't on fire, but I was close to being a human inferno. Kaida had leapt toward Ghetsis first, and sunk a mouth full of teeth into his arm. He screamed in pain, before smacking her with a pokèball. I watched it close around her. I felt myself shouting. Oaxaca swept through the air, launching every move he had against the monster who had killed Bianca's friend. Another Team Plasma grunt had tackled Oaxaca, and wrestled him to the ground. I was truly screaming now, my voice hoarse and ragged from the smoke. Burgh had lifted me up, and hustled out the door, pulling me into the street. An explosion racked the building, spraying glass and debris out into the peaceful metropolis. I felt shrapnel pierce my back, and Burgh slumped to the ground. I felt sobs pour out of my chest as Burgh and I bled into the concrete.

* * *

My eyes burned. I opened them to the harsh light above me. I was at a hospital once again. I leaned forward, before falling back into my pillow from exhaustion. I breathed deeply, trying to clear soot and ash out of my lungs from the explosion. A nurse wandered in, before jumping at the sight of my eyes open. She knelt beside my bed, and spoke softly.

"What?" I couldn't hear her.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, her eyes full of ambient sympathy. I coughed, feeling bile rise into my throat. She pulled a bucket from underneath the bed to catch the stomach acid now leaking out of my mouth. She reached for a small cloth to wipe my mouth. I rolled back to look at the ceiling, and she asked again how I was feeling.

"My friends are gone." I wanted to shout, but my throat wouldn't allow it. I wanted to slam my fist into a wall, but my arms wouldn't allow it. I wanted to slide a scalpel across my neck, but my mind wouldn't allow it. What else did I have to live for?

"You don't deserve to face the pain you're going through. I'm sorry. Are you okay with visitors?"

"Who?"

"A girl wanted to speak with you alone." How was I going to explain this to Bianca?

"Let her in." The nurse nodded solemnly, before walking to the door. It wasn't Bianca anymore. She was a husk of her former self. She was depression wearing a smile.

"How are you?" She asked, a small hand reaching out to touch my arm. She drug a chair closer to my bed.

"I'm sorry. This wouldn't have happened if - "

"Black, no. This isn't your fault. I know you did everything you could to help me… and Munna. She didn't deserve to die the way she did." She finished, but I waited for her to say more. I didn't know how to fill the space with words like I used to. She stayed quiet as well. I stared more deeply into her eyes, trying to find what she wanted to say to me. Instead, she leaned in and put her mouth against mine. It didn't feel like a kiss, it felt like pity. I returned it, with contempt burning in my chest. She looked down on me... and she wanted to make me feel better with such a simple gesture. One that I used to want.

"Can I do anything - " I cut her off before she could finish the thought.

"I don't want to talk." She abruptly stood, clearly embarrassed. She walked out of the room stiffly, shutting the door tightly behind her. How could she think she could fool me? I wasn't an imbecile like she and Cheren thought.

"_This is not your time to die._" Zekrom was there, in my head now. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cut him out with a sharp knife to my brain. I wanted to end all this, right now. "_Your friends are depending on you._"

"What friends, Zekrom? All of my friends are _dead or stolen_.They didn't deserve the life that they had."

"_Not all of your friends._"

"They'd be better off without me!" I heard the pounding of feet outside my door. I didn't care if they thought I was crazy. I wasn't insane, I'm not insane, I won't be insane. Just stop! I'm yelling now, thrashing in my bed. Alarms are going off, my bedsheets are on the ground, what am I doing? I'm going to die I'm going to die I'm going to kill myself I'm going to kill myself imgonnadoit imgonnadoit imgonnadoit

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**This is a bit shorter because I wanted to end abruptly. I'll be churning out the next chapter in a couple of days.**


	8. Vast White

The house sat silently on its haunches, enclosed by the dense growth of trees around it. A girl pressed her hands against the ground, pushing her feet down into the earth and her hips into the air. She breathed deeply, the tight polyester shirt rising and falling with her chest. After completing downward-facing dog, she sloped her stomach toward the ground, pushing into upward-facing dog. A small chinchilla-like Pokémon followed suit beside her, its pink fur billowing in the wind like the branches of the trees. It struggled keeping its tiny torso bent at the spine, and White chuckled softly, trying not to alert it to her attention. Regardless, Dolce's massive ears picked up the sound of White's laughter. The Minccino sent a devilish glare at her before staring straight ahead once again, trying to match her trainer's pose.

"Dolce, let me help you." White breathed in once again, her lungs filling with air. She closed her eyes, before opening Dolce's. Her mind bounced everywhere, trying to take in a million things at once, while White tried to soothe her.

_Just focus on your breathing, Dolce._ White commanded, not with her mouth, but with her thoughts.

_There's so many things we could be doing instead of this, W. Why are we doing yoga anyway?_ White knew Dolce was no more than mildly irritated, but her thoughts declared otherwise.

_It's to calm you, to help you focus on one task at a time. This will help you, trust me… _White trailed off, hoping to keep Dolce from interrupting again. Their focus was intertwined now, like two captains at the helm of one boat. It could work smoothly, where one could make up for the mistakes of another, but it could be… hectic at other times. This was one of those times. She struggled more, before Dolce took control of the helm and bumped White out of her thoughts. As White shook her head to regain awareness in her own body, she noticed Dolce's smirk.

"Shut up, I'm still working on it." She shoved Dolce out of a delicate downward dog pose, sending her sprawling to the ground. The Pokémon sent out a series of squeaks, before rubbing her side gingerly. "Let's pack up and get ready," White said, tossing the door to their shack open. She had forgotten how little they had now. Dolce ran on all fours to her small bed on the ground, a padded furry thing that was definitely made for a Lillipup. White giggled, before turning to her bed. Of course, she couldn't take the whole mattress. She tugged at the sheets, before wistfully looking at the single bag in the room. It was small, a medium-sized satchel or a large purse at best. Dolce could carry her bed, so all that needed to fit were a few outfits, her laptop, and her Pokémon supplies. She thought back to Sinnoh, Hoenn… Kanto. Oh, how she longed for those days of fame and fortune. There wasn't a person that wouldn't give their spare room to a trainer like _White._ She remembered her name uttered on so many television shows, so many radio now, she lived a one-room shack in the middle of nowhere, without a single fan or penny to her name. White sighed, before noticing a worried glance from Dolce.

"I'm not too excited to leave, to be honest," White said. A knowing nod from Dolce, before she curled up in her bed once again. White pulled clothes from the drawers, and placed them softly inside her bag. As she ran her eyes across her desk to make sure she didn't forget anything, she noticed a small scrap of paper. Slightly larger than her hand, it was roughly torn at the edges. White picked it up, and turned it over, recognizing a familiar handwriting.

_White, I'm sorry, but I have one more task for you. Here are three names. Kaida, Lillian, and Oaxaca. You need to rescue them from a Team Plasma holding center not far from here._

"Dolce, I have to do something before we leave. Watch the door, please." The small rodent nodded before trotting toward the door, eyes alert. White walked back to her bed, to lie down on her back. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath through her nose, and stretched her mind in all possible directions. Reaching… reaching. Got one!

* * *

Oh god… where am I? As soon as they take this bag off of my head, I'm going to kill all of them. I reach for a body, but my wrists seem caught on something. If they tied me up, I'm going to be so mad. I feel my body temperature rising already, I'm ready to catch this whole place on fire. _Kaida, you need to calm down._ What? What's going on right now? Who is this? _Kaida, listen to me. Let me help you._ No, is this one of Plasma's tricks? Someone's pulling the bag off my head right now, and another is unclasping the shackles at my wrists. Big mistake. _Kaida, don't do this._ Get out of my head, you dumb voice! I'm going to kill them all.

Light… it's so bright. Alright, where are those grunts? I'm going to claw out their throats and rescue Lily and Oaxaca. Wait… this room… it's familiar. No, it can't be. _Kaida, you need to calm down, they're going to hurt you if you don't. _No, no, no! Not here again! Toys everywhere, a half pipe… N can't be here. Where is he?! That son of a bitch! I'm going to… I'm going to… _Kaida, you need to –_

White sat up quickly, clutching her abdomen. Dolce rushed to her side.

"No… no. I think they just electrocuted one of them. I wasn't fast enough." Dolce nodded her head, her eyes full of sympathy. A couple low squeaks were muffled by her nuzzling closer into White's side. "Thanks, Dolce. I'm going to try again. Maybe I can reach one of the others, they might be a better match." White laid back into the soft sheets again, going through her ritual once again.

* * *

"I don't… I don't want to hurt you." I took a deep breath, gulping back air. This wasn't where I was supposed to be. Two Pokémon stood warily, circling me, trying to find an opening. Team Plasma must know I was strong. The Krokorok moved to my left, trying to turn my focus toward him, while the Golett snuck behind my line of sight. Suddenly, I felt another presence enter my mind.

_Lillian, let me help you._ The voice was a female. I stretched out my own, quickly. I couldn't risk the chance of her distracting me in this fight.

_White, stay out of this. I need to focus._ I could feel the other mind recoil in shock. The Golett lunged toward me, its fist extended.

_It's preparing Shadow Punch. Move to your left, counter with Razor Leaf. It'll hit him, and hard. Aim for right shoulder, that should spin him off into the corner._ I felt my body move without my command. I tried to wrestle back control, before a strong force of energy rocketed through my body, sending me backwards. Directly into the Krokorok's grasp. I tucked and rolled underneath and outstretched arms, before flapping my wings strongly, sending me against the back wall, both Pokémon now standing in front of me. _You need to share the reins, Lillian. We can fight better with two minds together._

_I can fight on my own, thanks._ I replied, clutching my arm. I felt full control return my body, and suddenly, pain washed through my limbs. _What did you do?_ I thought through gritted teeth. The alligator was approaching my right side, the Golett on my left. Krokorok was most likely going to try and grab me with its powerful jaws, while the Golett would use its nasty habit of disappearing to get the jump on me. I watched both of them cautiously.

_I told you, I can help. Two minds are always better than one. _White was right, she knows fighting tactics. Was this a Pokémon, or a human? I eased control of my body, and shared it with her. As if on cue, both Krokorok and Golett lunged toward me. Instead of fighting with White, I tried to share control of my body with her. A weird feeling, but it seemed to work. I wasn't sure which thoughts were mine, but it was as if we were the same mind working at double time. A slipstream of actions poured through me, and my body followed willingly.

_Golett is preparing Shadow Punch again, Krokorok is going for Crunch. Pump wings to right, fly left. Turn body 90 degrees to keep both enemies in front. Create single Razor Leaf in left hand, fly toward Golett. Slash under right arm, before flying upward. Krokorok is leaping again, straight up. It won't reach me. Maneuver right, jab Razor Leaf into spines on back. Golett disappeared, it'll be right where I was a second ago… There. Dodge to left, Razor Leaf to the back of the head. Krokorok is falling toward the ground, going to land on stomach, not on feet. Jet forward, and stomp on back. Both Pokémon are unconscious now._ _Done. _

I stepped off the Krokorok's back, tired. While rolling my arms and stretching my wings, I speak up toward White again. _How did you find me?_

_I was told I need to break you out of here. Why did they make you fight? Do you know where you are?_

_I don't know where I am. _I froze as a Team Plasma grunt walked into the room, holding some kind of device. What is that?

* * *

White opened her eyes again, more slowly and deliberately this time. Dolce noticed her stirring and tilted her head to one side, quizzical.

"I found one more, but before I could figure out where they are, I lost connection. Team Plasma has some kind of… gun. I don't know what it does, but Lillian must be unconscious or something now."Dolce nodded, understanding. "What do you think I should do now?" Somehow hearing her squeaking was comforting enough. White stretched out, before laying down once more.

Who are you?

_I'm White. I'm trying to find out where you and your two friends are. I'm going to help you._

I'm Oaxaca. I'm not sure where I am either.

_I think if we work together, we can find out. Let me share the work. Two minds are better than one._

Very well. I'm just in this cage… the bars won't budge. I let the girl take control of my body, as she turned to look around. Hundreds and hundreds of cages were stacked on top of each other, each holding a different species of Pokémon. I wondered if there were any other Starmie in Unova.

_Can we knock this box down? If it breaks, you can escape._

It'd be a long fall, miss.

_You're right. Hm… _

The girl looked around some more. A cage to our left was empty, but the one directly next to it held a large green bug-like creature.

_That's a Scyther. It's armor is very hard, it would be able to survive the fall. It could also fly up to rescue us. _

The creature was sitting strangely. Its legs were crossed, eyes closed, wings folded into its back. I felt the girl leave my mind. I only assumed she was trying to connect with it. Yes, she was. The insect shook its head, like it was trying to get rid of a headache. I moved closer to the edge of my cage, trying to see or hear anything. The Scyther stood up, still cramped by the short height of the cage. It moved its arms toward the lock on the outside, but struggled to cut it. The bars were thick, I assumed that Team Plasma had Pokémon like Scyther in mind when they designed them. I assumed the small lock would be easier to cut, however. The Scyther suddenly stepped back, before throwing itself at the cage door. A feeling like surprise passed through my body, but I shook it away. The cage crashed to the floor, the lock hitting the ground with full force. It splintered, the door flying open now. I heard a chorus of cries from nearby Pokémon, urging the Scyther to cut them out. With a hesitancy I could only attribute to White fighting with Scyther's mind, it stumbled on the ground for a moment, before zipping up to the door to my cage. In one swipe, the lock was sheared off of my cage and the door popped open, while White's thoughts entered my head once again. The Scyther flew downward, working on more cages. Team Plasma grunts came rushing in, as –

_We need to get out of here, they're going to try their best to round up all of the Pokémon. There's a window to your left, high up on the warehouse wall. You'll be able to shatter it, easily._

You're astoundingly observant. I did as I was told. Glass exploded around me, as electric bursts from the Plasma grunts fired at the walls around me, narrowly missing the fin on my left. I shot through the open window, cutting myself on some broken glass on the way out. I winced, before continuing into the tree line, hoping to hide from the grunts. I looked back, to a warehouse on an otherwise empty island.

_The P2 Lab. I'm not going to be able to get to you quickly._

That's fine. I can wait out here. Lily and Kaida should be safe. They're smart.

_Stay safe, Oaxaca. Thanks for your help._

* * *

White sat up, and brushed Dolce's fur with her hand. Dolce stayed still, her soft breaths signifying she was asleep. So much for watching while White was busy. She shrugged, and clambered over Dolce carefully, so as not to wake her up. She stumbled onto the ground, as Dolce's eyes opened sleepily. White smiled at her small companion, before slinging her back around her shoulder, and adjusting her ponytail through her ball cap.

"Ready, Dolce?" White asked. Dolce gave a quick nod before she bounded to her bed, pushing it onto her back. It fit on the top of her head, pushing her ears down and giving her the appearance of a Cossack. White giggled under her breath before pushing the door open to the outside. She followed Dolce, before pulling the map out of her bag. White was living near Icirrus City, it was going to be a long trek down to the Laboratory, which sat at the southeast corner of Unova.

"A boat from Driftveil City is most likely our best bet. We're not going to be able to get to the lab easily on foot," White spoke aloud, half-talking to Dolce. Dolce wasn't paying attention, she spun around, trying to get so dizzy she could fall over. White exhaled through her nose, amused, but not enough to truly laugh. She folded the map and slid it into her bag.


End file.
